South Africa vs Australia, 4th Test - Who Said What

South Africa literally demolished Australia in the fourth and final Test match of the series by a whopping 492 runs in Johannesburg. They also won the series for the first time against the team from down under since their readmission in 1991/92. It was the character that they showed after losing the first match which has helped them win. Vernon Philander was the man for them on the final day as he scalped 6 wickets out of the 7 to fall and derailed the Aussie batting line-up.

After opting to bat first, South Africa posted a mammoth total of 488 runs on the back of a sensational 152-run knock from Aiden Markram who was backed up by Temba Bavuma by scoring 95*. It was Pat Cummins once again for Australia who scalped a five-wicket haul. In response, the hosts’ bowlers were all over the visitors as they skittled them out for 221 runs thanks to the half-centuries from Pat Cummins and Tim Paine.

Du Plessis shines in second innings

South Africa decided to have more fun in the second innings and didn’t enforce the follow-on. They batted Australia out of the game by scoring 344 runs for the loss of 6 wickets and thereby extending the lead to 611 runs. Their skipper Faf du Plessis batted beautifully and broke the string of low scores by scoring a much-needed century. He scored 120 runs off just 178 balls to pile on the agony for the Aussie bowlers.

Australia were never going to chase down the total of 612 runs and they didn’t show any fight even to save the game. Philander wreaked havoc in their camp by taking 6 wickets for just 21 runs which was his best figures as the visitors capitulated to 119 only in 46.4 overs in the second innings. Only two of their batsmen could reach the double figures for the Aussies as they conceded the series by 3-1 for the first time in the rainbow nation.

South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis said:

Morne’s been a special player. There have been a lot of tributes for him over the last few days and they’ve been richly deserved. He’s been our funny guy and we look up to him when the chips are down and the going is tough. Also the nicest guy you’ll meet off the field. We’ll miss him as a human being and surely the next guy coming in has big boots to fill.

This series has been remarkable, four Test matches and 80 wickets shows our bowling has been on top. Five hundreds, a few nineties and that shows how good our batting has been too. As a team we’ve performed really well. You don’t get a chance to play Australia and beat them 3-1 in a series.

The boys have been extremely motivated after the first Test in Durban to turn it around. It has been a long summer, a tough summer and at the end of it I am a very proud captain standing here.

Morne Morkel who played his last match said:

I sat with the doc and told him to do what he could to get me on the field. Some sore bodies in the room. Thank you so much, the last month, the last two weeks. A lot of support and tears. To my team-mates, I can be the man I am today playing with this team

Man of the Series Kagiso Rabada said:

Yeah it’s been a long summer, a lot of games and in the end it is reflecting in my energies. Not a lot of rest coming up thought, but hopefully I’ll look to make the most of it. Australia is a great cricketing nation, it is never easy against them.

We came back hard in PE and is nice to have taken it over the line against them. It is nice to open your mind and listen to others (Ottis Gibson). You can never stop learning, the game always finds ways of humbling you. Morne’s had an outstanding career, a fitting finale too. We are going to celebrate his career and today is going to be all about him.

Man of the Match Vernon Philander said:

Wow, what can I say; an awesome way to finish off this Test match. It is pretty emotional for all of us given that it was Morne’s last match. I was a little rusty to the crease to start off, I made sure I had good momentum and stayed stable in the crease.

I found my rhythm from this end, and eventually it all came right. [200 Test wickets] It is special and is just a matter of taking as many as I can. We are going to miss Morne, the way he’s carries himself off the field, his jokes in the dressing room and I want to wish him the best for all his future endevours.

Australia skipper Tim Paine said:

It has been a really challenging week. I can’t doubt our effort, but we were slightly off against the best in the world and were caught wanting. We aren’t going to win too many series without a Test match hundred; we’ve obviously lost two of the best players in the world, Bancroft was the highest run-getter in this series too, but that’s giving some of the other guys an opportunity to stand up and cement their spots in the side.

South Africa have completely outplayed us, despite what’s happened over the last week, we can’t hide from the fact that we’ve been short on skills. The long break now gives the guys a chance to get back home, gather their thoughts and come back fresh against Pakistan in the UAE.

Here’s our video of the day:

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