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South Africa topped the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle by winning the last seven Test matches in a row.
South Africa’s road to WTC 2025 final. (Picture Credit: AFP)
From nearly abandoning the Test game to securing their berth in the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s, South Africa had an amazing run in the WTC 2023-25 cycle. The Proteas, who were heavily criticised for prioritising the SA20 League last summer and sending an understrength squad to New Zealand, made a late resurgence, winning seven consecutive Tests to arrange a marquee clash against the Australians, starting Wednesday, June 11.
South Africa started their topsy-turvy campaign with a 1-1 series draw against India in the 2023-24 season. An innings victory in the opening Test in Centurion on the back of former skipper Dean Elgar’s daddy hundred helped them thwart the visitors eyeing their final frontier. But remarkable spells from Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah overcame a gritty century from Aiden Markram and gave the visitors their maiden Test win at Newlands.
Taking a ridiculous seven uncapped players to New Zealand in early 2024 after SA20 franchises enjoyed an upper hand in the club vs nation debate, the Proteas duly suffered a 0-2 whitewash after heavy defeats in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton. While there were a few positives – notably, Dane Peidt with a five-fer and David Bedingham compiling his maiden century – the visitors were rather happy that the nightmare got over as quickly as it started.
After a long break filled with white-ball assignments, including the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, the Proteas took on the West Indies in a two-Test series away. Spirited comebacks and brave declarations hogged the limelight for the tourists as they kept the Calypso Kings at bay for a draw in Port of Spain and won by a margin of 40 runs in the second Test in Guyana.
Approaching a tricky series in Bangladesh, the Proteas seemed vulnerable to perhaps losing to the Bangla Tigers for the first time. But a rejuvenated Kagiso Rabada breathes fire against the hosts’ inexperienced and shaky batting arsenal. Rabada’s 6 for 46 in Mirpur and 5 for 37 in Chattogram helped set up two easy wins for the tourists, with centuries from Kyle Verreynne, Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder stamping their dominance.
With other results going their way, including New Zealand’s unbelievable 3-0 series whitewash in India, South Africa were suddenly in prime position to qualify for their maiden Test Championship final. Ahead of them were successive home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and Temba Bavuma’s men made a strong head start towards the three wins from four Tests they required by taming the Lankan Lions in Durban and Gqeberha.
The mercurial Pakistanis then gave the Proteas a scare in the first Test in Centurion, but a ninth-wicket partnership of 51 runs between Marco Jansen and Rabada propelled the hosts to victory and a place in the WTC finale after menacing spells from Dane Paterson and Jansen had shaped the low-scoring Test. Despite the qualification secured, the Proteas came out hard against Pakistan in the final Test. A marathon knock of 259 from Ryan Rickelton and centuries from skipper Bavuma and Verrynne pushed South Africa to a daunting 615 all out. Collective performance from the bowling unit then gave the Proteas a 2-0 series win.
South Africa’s series results in WTC 2023-25
- 1-1 draw against India (in South Africa) 2-match series
- 0-2 defeat vs New Zealand (in New Zealand) 2-match series
- 1-0 win over West Indies (in West Indies) 2-match series
- 2-0 win over Bangladesh (in Bangladesh) 2-match series
- 2-0 win against Sri Lanka (in South Africa) 2-match series
- 2-0 triumph over Pakistan (in South Africa) 2-match series
Most runs for South Africa in WTC 2023-25 cycle
- David Bedingham – 645
- Temba Bavuma – 609
- Aiden Markram – 572
- Tristan Stubbs – 500
- Kyle Verreynne – 488
- Tony de Zorzi – 486
- Ryan Rickelton – 451
- Wiaan Mulder – 263
- Dean Elgar – 201
- Marco Jansen – 200
- Kagiso Rabada – 133
- Keegan Petersen – 108
- Ruan de Swardt – 99
- Zubayr Hamza – 95
- Keshav Maharaj – 84
Most wickets for South Africa in WTC 2023-25
- Kagiso Rabada – 47
- Keshav Maharaj – 40
- Marco Jansen – 29
- Dane Paterson – 21
- Nandre Burger – 14
- Wiaan Mulder – 11
- Dane Piedt – 11
- Neil Brand – 8
The paucity of Tests hasn’t quite allowed the South Africans to climb up the batting and bowling charts for this cycle, but Bavuma (609), Rickelton (451), Verreynne (488), Bedingham (645), Markram (572), Stubbs (500) and Tony de Zorzi (486) have produced vital runs at respective stages. Rabada is South Africa’s top wicket-taker of the two-year campaign with 47 scalps, followed by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (40) and rising young quick Jansen (29).
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