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Multiple SA players stood up throughout the three-match Test series against Australia which concluded at the weekend.
The Proteas lost the first game by 214 runs in Durban, before hitting back by winning by an innings and 31 runs in the second fixture in Gqeberha, and wrapping up the series triumph with a 176-run victory in Cape Town.
We rate the individual performances of the players in the squad.
The opening batter did not produce any truly standout performances, but he was relatively consistent at the top of the order.
Markram made 202 runs in five innings, including two half-centuries (75 in the second innings in Durban and 78 in the first innings in Cape Town), at an average of 40.40.
Making his debut in Gqeberha, Ackerman got his Test career off to a wobbly start after being dismissed for six runs in the home side’s only innings.
But the opener found his feet in Cape Town, making 95 after the Proteas were sent in to bat. Though he narrowly missed out on his first Test century with a soft dismissal, he assisted the top order in laying a solid foundation.
He also hit a valuable 62 in the SA side’s second innings.
The top-order batter was relatively average by his own standards, but he had some decent knocks.
Though it was ultimately in a losing cause, he made 49 and 46 in the series opener at Kingsmead.
He also contributed 50 runs in the first innings of the final game at Newlands, as the top three all ensured the Proteas got off to a good start.
Aside from his valuable leadership on the field, marshalling his team, Bavuma also played a key role in Gqeberha, making a career-best 179 in his only innings, paving the way to the Proteas’ impressive victory.
He struggled to make contributions with the bat in the other two Tests, but his knock in Gqeberha helped his side bounce back from their defeat in the series opener, and turned their campaign around.
After missing out on the series opener, Breetzke was included for the second game, but he made just four runs in the SA team’s only innings.
In the series decider at Newlands, he was dismissed for two in the Proteas’ first innings, and though his patient 43 off 121 helped stabilise the second innings to keep the South Africans in the hunt, he was unable to kick on.
He struggled to get going in the first two games of the series, but Rickelton was superb in the deciding clash at Newlands.
He hit an overnight century in the Proteas’ second innings, pairing up with Wiaan Mulder in a memorable stand that put the SA team back in contention heading into the fifth and final day.
Taking the gloves behind the stumps in the last two games of the series, he also took nine catches.
The middle-order batter made only 33 runs in the first game in Durban, and he was one of the casualties after some changes were made ahead of the second clash in Gqeberha.
He was replaced by Breetzke, who played the last two fixtures of the series, as Stubbs was sent back to the Warriors for some domestic T20 games.
The all-rounder didn’t do much with the bat in Durban or Gqeberha, but his 115-run knock in Cape Town helped the Proteas turn things around, joining Ryan Rickelton in a match-saving partnership on day four.
And he was useful with the ball, taking 10 wickets through the series at an average of 23.70.
He didn’t play much of a role in the series, making just 14 runs and taking two catches in the first match before he was dropped.
Verreynne was replaced by top-order batter Ackerman for the last two games, with Rickelton dropping down the order and taking the gloves from Verreynne behind the stumps for the second and third fixtures.
Jansen delivered with bat and ball, earning the Player of the Series award.
The third-highest wicket taker in the series, the seamer took 13 scalps at an average of 19.76, including a five-wicket haul in Australia’s first innings in Gqeberha.
He was also the fifth highest run scorer in the series, making 198 in five innings with two half-centuries, and his 85-run contribution in Gqeberha was crucial in setting up the win, as he shared a 132-run partnership with Bavuma for the seventh wicket.
The only specialist spinner that turned out for the Proteas in all three games, Harmer struggled to make an impact in the first two matches, taking only four wickets.
In Cape Town, however, he was spectacular. After grabbing four scalps in Australia’s first innings, he went on to secure a career-best 6/16 in their second innings, wrapping up the win for his team and claiming his first 10-wicket haul in the Test format to receive the Player of the Match award.
He also played a key role with the bat in the second match in Gqeberha, making 82 down the order and sharing 183 runs for the eighth wicket with Bavuma in the Proteas’ only innings.
One of South Africa’s most experienced and reliable players, Maharaj didn’t make much of an impact in the series opener, taking just two wickets, though he wasn’t given the ball as much as he usually would.
With the Proteas opting to go with one specialist spinner for the second and third games, Harmer was given the nod and Maharaj stayed in Durban to captain the Dolphins in a domestic T20 game.
After missing the series opener while recovering from a hamstring injury, Rabada returned in style in Gqeberha, with the frontline fast bowler taking six wickets and helping the Proteas level the series.
He also took four scalps in the final match in Cape Town, but it was really a crucial spell on the morning of the last day that reminded fans how much the experienced speedster offers the national team.
He ripped through Australia’s top order, grabbing three wickets in the first seven overs of the day, taking the game away from the tourists and placing the Proteas firmly in the driving seat.
Returning to the national Test side for the first time in more than three years, fearsome fast bowler Nortje did well to take four wickets in the series opener.
But the injury-prone paceman struggled with the workload and he left the field during Australia’s first innings in the second game.
He was sidelined for the rest of the series with a groin injury.
Replacing Nortje in the line-up for the series decider at Newlands, Coetzee played his first Test in nearly two years.
But the fast bowler didn’t make the impact he would have wanted to, grabbing just one scalp, with the Proteas leaning on Rabada and Jansen as the frontline seamers.
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