JOHANNESBURG: South African left-arm fast bowler Marco Jansen displayed a magnificent performance as he dismissed the first five Australian batsmen, securing a remarkable come-from-behind series win for South Africa in the fifth one-day international held at Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.
Jansen’s Heroic Five-for: Marco Jansen’s exceptional bowling spell saw him claim five wickets for a mere 39 runs as he dismantled the Australian batting order. Facing a target of 315 runs, Australia was eventually bowled out for a total of 193, succumbing to the relentless pressure applied by Jansen and the South African bowlers.
South Africa vs Australia Match Highlights
The series-deciding match featured a dramatic start as Marsh opted to bowl first on a pitch offering sideways movement and bounce. South Africa found themselves at 103 for four in the 24th over. However, Aiden Markram (93) and David Miller (63) stabilized the innings with a 109-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Lower-order batsmen Marco Jansen (47 off 29 balls) and Andile Phehlukwayo (39* off 19 deliveries) contributed significantly to propel South Africa’s total beyond the 300-run mark.
In response, Marsh and David Warner provided an explosive start for Australia, scoring 34 runs off the first three overs. Yet, Jansen’s brilliance came to the fore as he dismissed Warner and Josh Inglis in a double-wicket maiden over. Marsh (71) and Marnus Labuschagne (44) attempted to revive Australia’s innings with a 90-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Jansen’s devastating spell saw him remove both well-set batsmen and Alex Carey in quick succession, firmly placing South Africa in command.
South Africa’s Resilience
South African captain Temba Bavuma lauded his team’s resilience and character, highlighting how they fought back after losing the first two matches of the series. Bavuma expressed confidence in his team’s performance, emphasizing the positive implications for their upcoming campaign in the World Cup in India next month. He stated, “There is a lot of confidence we can take, in that we had our backs against the wall and we showed we have ways of getting on top of the game. We will go to India in probably the best state we can be.”
Australia’s Perspective
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh conceded that his team had been outplayed in the last three games of the series. Despite this, he mentioned that Australia had a one-day game against India in India coming up on Friday. With several key players, including regular captain Pat Cummins, fast bowler Mitchell Starc, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, and star batsman Steve Smith, set to return for a pre-World Cup series against India starting in Mohali, Marsh remained optimistic about their prospects.
