Following their innings and 31-run win against Australia in Gqeberha on Thursday to level the three-match series at 1-1, the Proteas will take all the momentum into the third Test in Cape Town next week.

Here are five things we’ve learned about the Proteas following the win in Gqeberha.

Bavuma is a giant of a cricketer

Captain Temba Bavuma had a rare “miss” in the first Test in Durban with scores of 3 and 1 and South Africa ended their innings’ with scores of 284 and 206. They lost the Test by a whopping 214 runs.

But good batters are not often kept down and Bavuma responded with an incredible 179 in the second Test, coming in with his side on 12/2 and later slipping to 25/3, 30/4, 92/5 and 110/6.

His 552-minute innings saved the Proteas from being bowled out cheaply and set them up to post a match-winning 425/9 declared in their only knock.

Bavuma may be a little man but he is the key batter in the lineup, as he’s proved time and again over the last few years.

Jansen is a genuine all-rounder

The lanky left-hander has now got to rank among the best all-rounders in the game. He’s been performing well over the last few years, but his performance in the second Test was simply sensational.

After hitting scores of 26 and 35, and taking five wickets in the first Test in Durban, Jansen was the chief destroyer of Australia in their first innings of 99 all out in Gqeberha, taking 5/33 in 11 overs. He bowled superbly, varying his length, line and pace to bamboozle the visitors to South Africa.

He also hit a swashbuckling 85 off 100 balls in the Proteas’ first innings and together with Bavuma helped put the South Africans on top.

Rabada key to SA bowling attack

The return to fitness for the second Test of Kagiso Rabada was massive for the Proteas. It’s not that they bowled poorly in Durban in the first Test, but Rabada’s presence in the team and his experience and accuracy certainly will always be a boost.

In the second Test, having recovered from a hamstring niggle, he took 2/33 in 12 and 4/77 in 23 in Gqeberha, and showed just what a key member of the side he is.

Like Jansen, he bowled intelligently, varying his pace, line and length and picked up key wickets at crucial times.

Coach Shukri Conrad will be thrilled he got through the Test unscathed, unlike Anrich Nortje, who’s again on the sidelines. Rabada will be key in Cape Town.

Proteas batting needs to improve

Besides Bavuma’s brilliant 179 in Gqeberha, there hasn’t been too much else to write home about regarding the rest of the Proteas batters.

In Durban’s first Test, Aiden Markram scored 37 and 75, while David Bedingham got 49 and 46. Tristan Stubbs made 32 and 1, while Wiaan Mulder made 32 and 29. Ryan Rickelton made 0 and 2 and Bavuma 3 and 1.

In the second Test, in their only knock, Markram made 11, Marques Ackerman 6, Bedingham 0, Matthew Breetzke 4, Rickelton 31 and Mulder 13. Jansen’s 85 and Simon Harmer’s 82 lower down the order saved the day.

South Africa’s batting simply has to be better, with more top order players contributing.

Mulder is the real deal

The 28-year-old all-rounder Mulder is probably the guy whose position in the Test team has been questioned the most over the last few years.

His incredible 367 not out against Zimbabwe last July made people sit up and take notice and with a batting average of 35 and bowling average of 25 with a 2.90 economy rate he certainly justifies his place in the team.

And in the last two Tests he’s again showed his worth. He scored 30 and 29 in Durban and 13 in Gqeberha, took 4/68 and 0/24 in Durban and 2/14 and 3/64 in Gqeberha … pretty good stats for the middle-order all-rounder.

His bowling in the second Test was especially good, with him picking up big wickets at crucial times. Mulder’s name is now certainly one of the first on the team sheet every Test.