The current WTC finalists have been part of some fierce battles since 2000. Here’s a list
Omkar Mankame09-Jun-20252nd Test, Cape Town, 2002This was Shane Warne’s 100th Test, and he made sure to make it his own. His 63 in the first innings helped Australia gain a sizeable lead in a thrilling partnership with Adam Gilchrist. He then picked up a six-wicket haul in South Africa’s second innings, but Australia were still left chasing a massive 331 after the hosts racked up 473.Justin Langer (58) and Matthew Hayden (96) laid the platform, but it was Ricky Ponting, who closed out a memorable win with a sublime hundred. With Warne at at the other end, Ponting brought up his century and the win with a six off Paul Adams.Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz saw Australia home in Johannesburg in 2006•Getty Images3rd Test, Johannesburg, 2006After dominant wins in Cape Town and Durban, Australia were pushed hard in the third Test. Brett Lee’s counterattacking 64 off 68 balls at No. 9, following Michael Hussey’s 72, lifted the visitors to 270 after South Africa had posted 303 in their first innings.Chasing 292, Hussey’s 89 and Damien Martyn’s 101 set up the chase, but Australia wobbled after Hussey’s dismissal, collapsing from 198 for 2 to 275 for 8. Michael Kasprowicz joined Lee with 17 still needed. The pair exorcised the ghosts of 2005, as Lee stayed unbeaten on 24 and Kasprowicz finished seven not out.AB de Villiers scored an unbeaten 106 to seal South Africa’s chase of 414•PA Photos1st Test, Perth, 2008Australia were in transition ahead of the 2008-09 home summer. It took a lower-order rescue act to lift them to 375, before Mitchell Johnson’s career-best 8 for 61 restricted South Africa to 281. With a lead of nearly 100, Australia extended it to 413 – seemingly more than enough.Enter Graeme Smith, who lost opening partner Neil McKenzie early, but then took the total to 172 in collaboration with Hashim Amla before both fell in quick succession. Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers took them to 303 before Kallis fell with the target still over 100 away. But de Villiers, who remained not out on 106, finished the job with JP Duminy.The champagne flows after South Africa’s series win•PA Photos2nd Test, Melbourne, 2008Smith hailed this result as a shift in the power balance of world cricket, becoming the first South African captain to win a Test series in Australia. In reply to Australia’s 394 at the MCG, South Africa stumbled to 184 for 7 before Duminy’s career-best 166, aided by a gritty 76 from Dale Steyn, earned them a 65-run lead. Steyn, who had taken 5 for 87 and then contributed with the bat, followed up with 5 for 67 to crush Australia’s hopes of squaring the series. South Africa chased down 183 to end two decades of Australian dominance at home.Michael Clarke raises his bat after reaching his first hundred on his home ground•PA Photos3rd Test, Sydney, 2009Australia pulled off a last-gasp win in Sydney, despite a valiant effort from the injured Smith. Batting at No. 11 with a broken left hand and sore right elbow, Smith survived 29 minutes with Makhaya Ntini in a bid to save the match, before Johnson ended the fight with five minutes left. Facing a whitewash, Australia had posted 445, driven by Michael Clarke’s 138, and gained a 118-run lead thanks to Peter Siddle’s 5 for 59. A strong second-innings show allowed Ponting to declare generously, setting South Africa 376 in nearly four sessions.The scoreboard tells the tale of Australia’s misery at Newlands in 2011•Getty Images1st Test, Cape Town, 2011Clarke’s unbeaten century took Australia to 214 for 8 by stumps on day one, and the Test was done by day three, with South Africa chasing down 155 to seal a commanding eight-wicket win. But the match was defined by a chaotic second day, where 23 wickets fell across four innings. Clarke guided the tail on the second morning to post 284, before Shane Watson and Ryan Harris ripped through South Africa, who lost nine for 47, to be bowled out for 96. But Philander, Steyn and Morkel hit back, skittling Australia for 47 – their lowest total in over a century. Smith and Amla calmly saw the day out at 81 for 1, setting up the 236-chase.Pat Cummins took 6 for 79 on debut•AFP2nd Test, Johannesburg, 2011Australia came into this Test on the back of their lowest total in 109 years. On a seaming Johannesburg pitch, they secured a 30-run lead after South Africa’s 266. Debutant Pat Cummins then gave Australia hope with a six-wicket haul, setting up a target of 310. At 19 for 2, Ponting and Usman Khawaja steadied the chase, but Morne Morkel and Steyn struck back, reducing Australia to six down with 95 still needed. The equation narrowed down to 12 with two wickets in hand. Cummins held his nerve, hitting two boundaries to seal a tense win.Faf du Plessis (left) batted over a day to save the 2012-13 Adelaide Test•Getty Images2nd Test, Adelaide, 2012For nearly four days, only one result seemed likely. Australia piled up 550 at a brisk 5.12 runs per over, powered by Clarke’s 230 off 257 balls and Hussey’s 103 off 137. They took a 162-run lead and set South Africa a daunting target of 430. On the final day, South Africa were 77 for 4 with debutant Faf du Plessis sharing the crease with de Villiers. The childhood friends battled through 408 balls in a tense blockathon. After de Villiers fell, Kallis and du Plessis added 99 runs in 235 balls, and South Africa held on for a draw with two wickets to spare.Ryan Harris wheels away in celebration after sealing the series for Australia•Getty Images3rd Test, Cape Town, 2014With the series level at 1-1, Australia arrived in Cape Town and posted 494 for 7, powered by Clarke’s unbeaten 161 and David Warner’s 135. Johnson, at his fiery best, took four wickets to restrict South Africa to 287. Warner’s second Test century set a daunting target of 511 – more realistically, survival for nearly five sessions. South Africa battled through 134 overs with two wickets in hand, but Ryan Harris struck in the final hour to remove Steyn and Morkel, preserving Australia’s unbeaten Test series record in South Africa since readmission. It was South Africa’s first defeat since becoming No. 1 in Test cricket.Travis Head’s innings proved to be the difference•Cricket Australia via Getty Images1st Test, Brisbane, 2022The Test lasted just two days and six sessions, but was packed with action, wickets, and a few runs. Brisbane served up a pitch so green it almost blended with the outfield. Australia’s bowlers were sharp and accurate, especially late in the first and throughout the second innings. South Africa’s totals of 152 and 99, with Kyle Verreynne’s 64 and Khaya Zondo’s unbeaten 36 as the top scores, fell well short. For Australia, Travis Head’s counter-attacking 92 off 96 balls proved decisive, helping build a 66-run lead. In a match where only two players passed 40 and 34 wickets tumbled in two days, his innings was the difference.
