South Africa’s win at the Eden Gardens was among the greatest Test match triumphs in their history.
15. Second Test, 1935, Lord’s v England – South Africa won by 157 runs
A googly bowler of Greek origin, Xen Balaskas took only 22 wickets in nine Tests, but that included 5-49 and 4-54 here. This win ranks low because South Africa were not the only threat England faced. Lord’s had been invaded by leatherjackets, which had eradicated the grass from the roots, reducing the pitch to a crumbling, dusty surface. Once South Africa won the toss and batted first, the Test could have had only one outcome.
14. Third Test, 2012/13, Perth v Australia – South Africa won by 309 runs
This win came when Australia were coming out of a brief transitional phase, but they were still a very strong side. South Africa had managed to save the first two Tests despite conceding first-innings leads of 115 and 162. Now, after they were shot out for 225, Dale Steyn (4-40) secured a 62-run lead. After Hashim Amla (196) and AB de Villiers (169) drowned Australia in a deluge of runs, Steyn (3-72) led the rout again to help South Africa clinch the series.
13. Third Test, 1997/98, Faisalabad v Pakistan – South Africa won by 53 runs
After two weather-hit matches, the decider witnessed Test cricket – bowling, in particular – of highest quality. Three hard-fought innings left Pakistan a mere 146 to chase, but they were up against Shaun Pollock. Allan Donald struck first, but it was Pollock (5-37) who ripped the heart out of the Pakistan batting with four wickets in seven balls. At 68-5, Pakistan were probably still in it, but Pat Symcox (3-8) struck, and the hosts were shot out for 92.
12. and 11. Second and fifth Tests, 1952/53, Melbourne v Australia – South Africa won by 82 runs and 6 wickets
Few gave the South Africans a chance for this tour. Dudley Nourse or the Rowan brothers were not there, and Australia had won every home series in the last 20 years. The sceptical home board even asked the visitors to bear the costs. Under these circumstances, visiting captain Jack Cheetham and manager Ken Viljoen laid out a blueprint that would not look out of place today. They sought a fitness regime from rugby great Danie Craven. They instilled military discipline in the unit.They analysed whatever video reels they could find of the batters, noticed the faults, and made them work on it; used concrete surfaces to mirror Australian conditions to perfect horizontal-bat shots; obtained detailed scoring charts, analysed the data, and prepared accordingly.
Australia went up 1-0, then 2-1. On both occasions, South Africa levelled the series. In the first win, Russell Endean’s 162 not out helped them set 373, and Hugh Tayfield (6-84 and 7-81) spun them to a win. In the second, they lost only four wickets to chase 297 despite no one reaching 80. Impressed, the South African Cricket Association requested the masterminds to document their strategies for the next generation. This came to be known as the Vil-Cheet Plan.
10. Fourth Test, 1955, Headingley v England – South Africa won by 224 runs
Two years later, South Africa squared the series again – after being 0-2 down against arguably the greatest England side of all time at their den. The third Test had been a narrow win, but not this one. Bowled out for 171, they restricted England to a 20-run lead before Jackie McGlew (133) and Endean (116 not out) helped them set 481. This time Trevor Goddard (5-69) and Tayfield (5-94) shared 109.1 overs to take all 10 wickets. Unfortunately, England won the fifth Test.
9. First Test, 1966/67, Johannesburg v Australia – South Africa won by 233 runs
A decade and a half had passed since Vil-Cheet’s brilliance in Australia. South Africa were now best Test side (though they refused to play non-White nations): in 15 Tests between 1965 and 1970 (both years included), they won eight and drew six. In this Test, they recovered from 41-5 to 199, but Australia still led by 126. It did not matter: headed by Denis Lindsay’s 182, six batters got half-centuries in a total of 620 before Australia collapsed against Goddard (6-53). Australia won the next Test but, despite rain saving them in a Test, they went down 1-3. Three summers later, South Africa would hammer them 4-0.
8. First Test, 2025/26, Kolkata v India – South Africa won by 30 runs
Despite being blanked by New Zealand the previous year, India – usually difficult to beat at home – were favourites coming into the series. They seemed on track, securing a 30-run lead and reducing South Africa to 91-7, but captain Temba Bavuma put up a masterclass of defensive batting, making few errors in his 55 not out. A target of 124 was not insurmountable, but India collapsed a second time against Simon Harmer (4-30 and 4-21).
7. First Test, 1965, Trent Bridge v England – South Africa won by 94 runs
This series informed the world of South Africa’s rapid ascendance. At Lord’s, they had England seven down (and John Edrich felled by Peter Pollock’s vicious bouncer). Defending 319 here after Graeme Pollock hit 125 and 59, Peter Pollock (5-34) and Atholl McKinnon (3-50) reduced England to 59-6. The England tail resisted, but it was never going to be enough. A subsequent draw gave South Africa their first series in England.
6. Second Test, 1993/94, Sydney v Australia – South Africa won by 5 runs
A year down the line, Australia would win a Test series in the West Indies to mark the symbolic end of the latter’s global dominance. They looked every part of it against a side still in their early days of Test cricket since readmission when a young Shane Warne (7-56 and 5-72) left them with only 117 to chase. Australia even reached 51-1, but Fanie de Villiers (6-43) took three wickets in five balls, while Donald (3-34) struck at the other end. At 75-8, the end seemed near, but they made it to 110-8 before de Villiers’ double blow clinched a thriller. Damien Martyn, ninth to be dismissed (he hit to cover), paid the price by being left out of the Test XI for six years.
5. Second Test, 1999/00, Bengaluru v India – South Africa won by an innings and 71 runs
Having not lost a home Test series since 1986/87, India were favourites despite their recent debacle in Australia. South Africa’s win in Mumbai had been a close thing, but the Indian bubble finally burst in Bengaluru. Such was their depth that six South Africans struck when they bowled out India for 158, then five made half-centuries when they amassed a lead of 311. Having debuted in the series, Nicky Boje then completed the rout with 5-83 to inflict the first ever whitewash by a touring team on Indian soil.
4. and 3. First and second Tests, 2008/09, Perth and Melbourne v Australia – South Africa won by 6 wickets and 9 wickets
Australia’s unbeaten home streak was even longer than India’s: no visiting team had beaten them since 1992/93. They seemed set to retain that when they secured a 94-run first-innings lead, eventually set a target of 414 (there had been only one higher successful chase), and had the visitors at 19-1.
But not for the first time did Graeme Smith rise to the challenge in the fourth innings. He led the charge with 108, while Amla and Jacques Kallis got fifties. Then, as the dent caused by the Glenn McGrath and Warne’s retirements became to show, two youngsters called AB de Villiers (106 not out) and a debutant JP Duminy joined hands to add an unbroken 111 to seal the win.
Having played a support act at Perth, Duminy now assumed centre-stage. Australia held the upper hand when, having posted 394, they had South Africa at 184-7, but Duminy (166) added 67, 180, and 28 for the next three wickets to put his team in the lead. Having warmed up with a four-hour 76, Steyn now followed his 5-87 with 5-67. The chase of 183 was completed with ease.
2. First Test, 1905/06, Johannesburg v England – South Africa won by 1 wicket
South Africa had been playing Test cricket for nearly 17 years, but were still awaiting their first win. However, this time they were prepared with a new trick. On the 1904 tour of England, South African leg-spinner Reggie Schwarz had noticed one Bernard Bosanquet bowl something unusual – a ball delivered with a leg-spinner’s grip that turned into the right-hander: we now call this the googly. Schwarz picked this up and passed on the trick to fellow leg-spinners, Aubrey Faulkner, Bert Vogler, and Gordon White (though the last was at best a batter who bowled). When most teams hesitate to pick two leg-spinners, South Africa picked four uncapped men who bowled that: they were prepared to risk it all.
Despite bowling out England for 184 and 190 with the googly, South Africa still needed 284 – and lost wickets in the process. All seemed lost at 105-6, but White (81) and Dave Nourse (93 not out) added 121 to put the chase back on track. They then became 239-9, but Nourse kept his calm, as did debutant-captain-keeper-last-man Percy Sherwell, and the runs were acquired. South Africa converted their first Test win to a 4-1 series triumph. Schwarz got 18 wickets at 17, Faulkner 14 at 19, Vogler nine at 22, and White two at 15.
1. World Test Championship final, 2025, Lord’s v Australia – South Africa won by 5 wickets
South Africa’s greatest global triumph – and their greatest Test match win – followed a pattern visible in most entries on this list: they came back from a position when all had seemed lost.
Here, Kagiso Rabada (5-51) shot out Australia for 212 before South Africa themselves folded for 138 against Pat Cummins (6-28). Not for the first time in their history, however, did South Africa hit back. Having looked insipid in the first innings, Lungi Ngidi (3-38) took out the middle order, while Rabada had 4-59. Australia, however, recovered from 134-8 to 207.
South Africa had capitulated in knockout matches in the past, especially against Australia – but these had been in ODIs. Here, they became 9-1 and then 70-2, but that was far as Australia went as Aiden Markram (136) and Bavuma (66) put on a decisive 147 for the third wicket. There were a few hiccups on the way even after that, but the South Africans ensured they sealed their rightful place in history.
