South Africa’s win over Australia offers England clues ahead of tour

South Africa’s series victory over Australia has exposed vulnerabilities England could target on their forthcoming tour, including the Proteas’ struggles against spin and short-pitched bowling, BBC Sport says.

The five-Test series ended with South Africa winning the third Test in Cape Town. Simon Harmer took 10 wickets for 120 runs in that match, while seven South African wickets across the Test fell to hook or pull shots, according to the BBC.

Questions for Cummins and Australia

Australia captain Pat Cummins went more than 62 overs between wickets during the series, and his bowling average of 53.66 was his second-worst in a series, the BBC reports. The article notes that his expected-wickets figure of 29.6 suggests he bowled better than the raw results indicate.

Cummins’s decision to bowl first in Cape Town also came under scrutiny. Australia recovered after South Africa made a strong start, but the hosts went on to win the Test and series. An earlier account of the first day described Australia’s fightback and noted that the toss decision remained unsettled while the side still had to bat.

Spin and the short ball

Harmer’s performance could sharpen England’s selection questions. The BBC says England have not selected a frontline spinner since Joe Root returned as Test captain, instead favouring four seamers. It reports that Cape Town produced substantial turn from the third day, although Newlands is not usually considered a turning pitch.

South African captain Temba Bavuma was dismissed by off-spin in four of his five innings against Australia. The BBC also highlights South Africa’s record against short balls: since 2023, the team has averaged 24.11 runs per dismissal against them in Tests, among the lowest figures in its comparison.

England may also need to make their lower order bat for longer. The series featured several large contributions after the sixth wicket, including South Africa’s 206 runs for their final five wickets in the second innings of the Cape Town Test. The BBC says wickets fell less frequently once the ball was more than 40 overs old than in England’s earlier series against New Zealand.

Australia’s Matt Renshaw was another standout, finishing as the series’ leading run-scorer with an average of 61.50. His 74 in Cape Town came as an opener, a role Australia have long sought to fill since David Warner’s departure. England face Australia in a one-off 150th-anniversary Test in Melbourne in March, before next summer’s Ashes.