Marco Jansen Leads South Africa to Series Victory with Stellar All-Round Performance Against Australia
South Africa’s comeback series victory against Australia
Marco Jansen played a pivotal role in South Africa’s comeback series victory against Australia, shining both with the bat and the ball in the fifth and final one-day international (ODI) at the Wanderers. South Africa was initially off to a slow start but managed to set a challenging target of 315 for nine after being asked to bat. Jansen, an all-rounder, contributed 47 runs off 23 balls and later achieved his career-best ODI figures with five wickets for 39 runs in eight overs, helping dismiss Australia for 193 in 34.1 overs.
This victory secured a 3-2 series win for South Africa, who had lost the first two matches but made a strong comeback with three consecutive wins, providing a boost in morale ahead of the upcoming World Cup in India.
In the initial stages of the match, the new ball moved considerably in the thin Highveld air, causing South Africa to struggle. Opener Quinton de Kock, who had announced his retirement from ODIs after the World Cup, was dismissed cheaply in his final home innings. Heinrich Klaasen, who had scored 174 in the previous match, was bowled out for six by Adam Zampa, the same bowler he had punished just two days earlier.
However, South Africa recovered as Aiden Markram and David Miller formed a crucial partnership, adding 109 runs in 107 balls for the fifth wicket. Tim David, in his first ODI delivery, broke this partnership as Markram was caught by Michael Neser, falling just seven runs short of a century. Miller and Jansen continued to attack, with Miller scoring 63 runs. Andile Phehlukwayo also played a late cameo, hitting three sixes in the final over to push South Africa past the 300-run mark.
Australian Cricket Team maintained a positive approach in their response but faced setbacks as Jansen claimed two early wickets, dismissing David Warner and Josh Inglis. Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne then put on a 90-run partnership for the third wicket, keeping Australia ahead of the required run rate. However, Marsh’s dismissal for 71, caught on the third-man boundary off Jansen, disrupted their momentum. Jansen further contributed by dismissing Labuschagne (44) and Alex Carey (two), while spinner Keshav Maharaj took three wickets to end Australia’s resistance.
Marco Jansen expressed his confidence-boosting performance, stating his desire to replicate such performances more frequently.
ALSO READ: https://top10techz.com/farhad-moshiris-rollercoaster-reign/
