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'Sigh of relief' – Marco Jansen reflects on emotional toll of series-clinching Newlands victory

South Africa’s 2-1 series triumph over Australia in the three-match Test series hinged on a commanding 176-run victory in the final Test at Newlands, propelling the Proteas to the top of the ICC Test rankings. The win, secured between October 27 and 31, 2026, was anchored by Marco Jansen, who was named Player of the Series after amassing 198 runs and taking 13 wickets across the three matches.

His all-round brilliance extended to the decisive match, where he scored 52 in South Africa’s first innings—including seven fours—and claimed three wickets for 60 runs. Though he did not take a wicket during Australia’s second-innings collapse (111 all out chasing 288), his consistent performances underscored his pivotal role, including becoming the third-fastest South African to reach 100 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled just before the series began on October 26.

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