South Africa captain Temba Bavuma and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock were involved in a tense DRS exchange during the second ODI against Australia at the Wanderers on September 27. The confusion almost cost the hosts a review in the final stages before Bavuma took the decision to challenge the on-field call.
South Africa beat Australia by 32 runs at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, September 27. They took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match series. David Miller (142) and Temba Bavuma (103) helped the hosts post 365/9 before the Proteas spinners restricted Australia to 333 runs.
Temba Bavuma Takes Last-Second DRS Review to Dismiss Xavier Bartlett, Clashes with Quinton de Kock
On the fourth ball of the 48th over, Lizaad Williams trapped Xavier Bartlett on the back boot with a sharp yorker. The on-field umpire turned down the LBW appeal, and the South African players had only seconds to decide whether to review the decision.
De Kock and Bavuma were seen discussing the review as the 15-second timer continued to run down. The South African captain eventually signalled for the review just before the deadline. However, the duo were engaged in a heated exchange where F-bombs were also dropped.
The decision went South Africa’s way. UltraEdge showed no bat was involved, while ball-tracking indicated that the ball had pitched in line and was hitting the leg stump. The on-field decision was overturned, bringing Bartlett’s innings to an end.
Bartlett had scored 50 off just 28 balls and briefly gave Australia hope in the chase. Williams then claimed the final wicket to finish with 3/54 as Australia were bowled out for 333.
What's This Behavior Quinten ? pic.twitter.com/nO57Di9yri
— BehindtheStumps (@Behindthestmps) September 28, 2026
Temba Bavuma, David Miller Lead South Africa to 2-0 Series Win
Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first, but South Africa recovered after losing Aiden Markram for a duck and Quinton de Kock for 15. The hosts then rebuilt their innings before David Miller took charge during the middle and death overs.
Temba Bavuma scored 103, while Miller smashed a career-best 142 off 93 balls to help South Africa post 365/9. Miller’s innings provided the late acceleration the hosts needed, while Jack Edwards stood out for Australia with 5/67.
Australia made a strong start to the chase as Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head added 130 runs for the opening wicket. Marsh scored 84 off 53 balls, while Head made 84 off 76 before South Africa fought back.
Head’s dismissal triggered a collapse as Australia slipped to 251/6. Bartlett and Edwards briefly revived the chase with a 61-run partnership, but Marco Jansen removed Edwards and Adam Zampa in consecutive deliveries.
Temba Bavuma Praises South Africa’s All-Round Performance
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma was pleased with his team’s overall performance after the Proteas secured the victory. He praised the batting effort from Miller and the bowlers for holding their nerve when Australia put pressure on the hosts during the chase.
“Overall good team performance. Started with a bad pitch, tricky up front, but we managed to handle that challenge and then got ourselves to that total. Unbelievable innings by David Miller, and then the bowlers as well, you know, they held their nerve,” Bavuma said.
“The first ten, we knew they were going to put us under pressure, but we understood a couple of wickets would put them on the back foot. So yeah, again another overall team performance,” he added.
