From Sydney to Kolkata: Five greatest Proteas' comeback Test victories

The Proteas have recorded a memorable first victory at India’s citadel of cricket since 1996. 

Independent Media’s Zaahier Adams looks at five great come-from-behind Test victories by the Proteas over the years. 

Second Test | Sydney | January 2-6, 1994

South Africa: 169 & 239; Australia: 292 & 111

South Africa won by five runs

After the great Shane Warne dismantled the Proteas with seven first innings wickets, the visitors trailed by 123 runs in the first innings. A courageous 79 not out from Jonty Rhodes in the second innings helped set the Aussies a paltry 117-run target. This set the stage for Fanie de Villiers to produce a heroic bowling effort of 6/43 to drive the Proteas to a miraculous five-run win.

Second Test | Melbourne | December 26-30, 2008

Australia: 394 & 247; South Africa: 459 & 183/1

South Africa won by nine wickets

The Proteas were floundering at 184/7 in response to Australia’s 394 in the Boxing Day Test before JP Duminy wrote himself into South African cricket folklore with a majestic 166. It set the game up for Dale Steyn to claim 10 wickets in the match, which propelled the Proteas to a first-ever Test series win on Australian soil.

First Test | Cape Town | November 9-11, 2011

Australia: 284 & 47; South Africa: 96 & 236/2

South Africa won by 8 wickets

Australian captain Michael Clarke set up his team’s first innings 284 with a superb 151. The quality of the innings was substantiated when the Proteas were dismissed for just 96. But that’s when chaos unfolded as Proteas debutant Vernon Philander ran through the Aussies with a seam bowling exhibition. Philander claimed 5/15 to dismiss the visitors for just 47 on a crazy afternoon under the watch of Table Mountain. The Proteas batters showed there were no demons in the Newlands wicket as they comfortably chased down the target.

ICC WTC final | Lord's | June 11-14, 2025

Australia: 212 & 207; South Africa: 138 & 282/5

South Africa won by five wickets

The Proteas closed off 27 years of disappointment with this monumental victory at Lord’s. Temba Bavuma’s team were behind throughout the contest, but spurred on by passionate support in London, they rallied through a superb 136 from Aiden Markram and half-century from the captain Bavuma to be crowned world Test champions that sent the nation into a frenzy.

First Test | Eden Gardens | November 14-16, 2025

South Africa: 159 & 153; India: 189 & 93

South Africa won by 30 runs

The Proteas had not won a Test on Indian soil in nearly 16 years, and in Kolkata since 1996. The pitch at Eden Gardens was dry and conducive to spin, the exact conditions favouring the home side.

The visitors were without their talismanic fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, but India had also lost their captain Shubnam Gill with a neck spasm during the Test. It would be pivotal for Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma struck a defiant 55 not out in his team’s second innings. It was the only score in excess of 50 throughout this low-scoring Test. 

The Proteas rallied in the second innings to set India a target of 124, which proved sufficient with Marco Jansen making early inroads before the spin twins Simon Harmer (4/21) and Keshav Maharaj (2/37) bowled the visitors to an historic 30-run victory.