South Africa completed a 176-run victory over Australia in the third and final Test at Newlands in Cape Town on October 31, 2026, to seal the series 2-1. Australia, set a target of 288 on Day 5, were dismissed for 111 in their second innings, surrendering the decider and the series on the same afternoon.
Pat Cummins, speaking after the match, placed the blame squarely on his batters. He acknowledged that poor decision-making in the second innings had cost Australia the game and the series.
"A few really poor decisions. I know it's a day-five wicket, but I don't think it was drastic. There were runs to be scored out there. There were lots of balls to face – a few decisions that the boys would like back," Cummins said in the post-match press conference, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
Simon Harmer was wrecker-in-chief, finishing with figures of 6 for 16, and ten wickets for the match, the first time a South African spinner had taken ten wickets in a match in Cape Town. Kagiso Rabada was central to Australia's top-order collapse on Day 5, removing the entire Aussie top order and finishing with 3 for 25. South Africa had posted 329 in their first innings, while Australia replied with 429 in theirs, giving the visitors a first-innings lead. However, South Africa's second-innings total set a target that proved beyond Australia's reach.
Cummins had won the toss and elected to field, a decision that came under scrutiny after South Africa batted through to 329. He acknowledged the call did not work out as planned, explaining that he had expected the opening-day pitch to offer far more assistance to his bowlers than it ultimately did.
"We knew it was going to be high scoring, but we thought we could get 10 wickets on day one. That'd put us right ahead of the game. You'd love to replay things and see how they would have worked out in the counterfactual (scenario), but you just don't get a chance," Cummins said.
What did Cummins say about Australia's Day 5 batting collapse?
Australia's second innings unravelled quickly on the final morning, and Cummins was direct in his assessment of how the chase fell apart. He said the game was effectively lost within the first hour of Day 5, with Australia falling behind with the early flurry of wickets.
"(Our) start in the first couple of overs, where you're behind it – maybe you're chasing a little bit harder than maybe when you turn up and think 'this is how you think the day is going to go'. So we've got to get better. It's happened a few times, we thought that chase was very achievable," he said.
Despite the defeat, Cummins maintained that Australia remained a strong side and said the questions being asked about the team's batting were fair given back-to-back losses.
"Always the case after losing a series – and it's probably fair. If we lost two games in a row, I think it's fair to be asking those questions. We'll be asking them internally as well," he added.
Where does this series defeat leave Australia in the WTC standings?
The Cape Town loss carried consequences beyond the series result. Australia, who had held the number one Test ranking, slipped to third in the World Test Championship table following the defeat. The result also meant Australia had lost four of their last seven Tests heading into their home series against New Zealand.
The series had begun with Australia winning the first Test in Durban to take a 1-0 lead. South Africa levelled by winning the second Test in Gqeberha, where Australia were dismissed for 110 in their first innings and lost by an innings and 31 runs inside three days. Australia then lost the Cape Town decider to finish on the wrong side of a 2-1 scoreline.
