8 years on from Sandpapergate, Australia chase redemption in South Africa Tests

Eight years after one of the darkest episodes in Australian cricket, the rivalry with South Africa returns to the Test arena with the stakes higher than ever. Australia begin a three-Test series in Durban on Friday, October 9, their first Test tour of South Africa since the infamous 2018 Sandpapergate series.

But this is no longer simply about settling old scores. The series brings together the top two teams in the current World Test Championship (WTC) standings, while also reprising last year’s WTC final, where South Africa beat Australia by five wickets at Lord’s. A year later, the Australians have an opportunity to strike back on South African soil.

The 2018 tour remains impossible to ignore. Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were suspended after Australia were caught using sandpaper to illegally alter the ball. The scandal led to bans, resignations and a lasting stain on Australian cricket.

Eight years later, only a handful of players from that era remain. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Smith and Matthew Renshaw are the members of Australia’s current touring group who were also part of the 2018 party.

AUSTRALIA EYE REDEMPTION

Australia arrive with plenty to prove, but also with a strong statistical foundation. They sit No. 1 in the WTC 2025-27 standings with eight wins from 10 Tests and a points percentage of 80. South Africa are second with three wins from four Tests and a 75% points percentage.

For Australia, however, this is about more than WTC points. They have not won a Test series in South Africa since 2014, making this three-match contest one of the biggest challenges of their current cycle. The Australians also have India and England away series ahead, making the next 12 months a defining period for an ageing but still formidable side.

There are questions around the batting, particularly Marnus Labuschagne, who had gone more than three years without a Test century. But he answered some of those doubts with a 111 against a Cricket South Africa Invitational XI in the warm-up game. Travis Head, Steve Smith and Cameron Green give Australia considerable firepower, while Nathan Lyon remains a crucial weapon.

Mitchell Starc, meanwhile, has framed Australia’s enormous year in almost sporting-mythical terms: winning their upcoming away series in South Africa, India and England while defending the ODI World Cup would be comparable to Rory McIlroy winning all four golf majors in one year.

“It’s somewhat unusual that you play the three marquee series away from home in the space of 12 months,” Starc told Cricinfo.

“And there’s two where we, as an Australian team, haven’t won in a long time. Then you throw in the side of the narrative that we’re obviously an older side and we’ve been together a long time, and the pressure comes from both of those things.

“But if, in 12 or 14 months time, we are sat here and we have won three away test series and a World Cup it’d be, I guess, the equivalent of Rory McIlroy winning four majors in the same year.”

CHAMPIONS RETURN HOME

For South Africa, the occasion carries a different kind of weight. This will be their first Test on home soil since they won the 2023-25 World Test Championship, beating Australia by five wickets at Lord’s in June 2025.

The Proteas have barely put a foot wrong in the current WTC cycle. They won 2-0 in India in November 2025 — their first Test series victory on Indian soil in 25 years — after also taking a 2-0 series win over Australia in the 2025 WTC final. Their only setback in the current cycle came in a series against Pakistan, which they drew.

Their homecoming, therefore, is also a chance to show that the Lord’s triumph was not a one-off. Temba Bavuma’s side has developed a resilience built around collective contributions rather than dependence on one superstar.

Yet South Africa enter the opener without their biggest weapon. Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the first Test as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. Rabada took nine wickets in the 2025 WTC final and his absence leaves a sizeable hole in the attack.

NORTJE MAKES COMEBACK

That is where Anrich Nortje comes in.

The express quick is set to play his first Test since March 2023, when he last represented South Africa against the West Indies. Nortje has taken 70 wickets in 19 Tests and is capable of regularly crossing the 145kph mark, offering the Proteas the kind of raw pace that can unsettle Australia’s batting.

His return is particularly significant because South Africa have lost several fast bowlers to injuries. Nortje has spent much of the intervening period playing limited-overs cricket and working his way back towards the physical demands of red-ball cricket.

The hosts have also opted for two spinners in Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, giving them another dimension at Kingsmead. South Africa’s XI has Nortje as the sole specialist quick alongside all-rounder Marco Jansen, with Harmer and Maharaj expected to play important roles as the Test progresses.

And so the first Test carries several narratives at once: Australia’s return to the scene of Sandpapergate, South Africa’s first home Test since becoming world champions, a rematch of last year’s WTC final and Nortje’s long-awaited return to Test cricket.

The past may provide the backdrop, but the present will decide who walks away with the first advantage. In a contest between the world’s top two WTC sides, redemption will have to be earned over five days, one session at a time.

DURBAN PITCH CONDITIONS

The pitch in Durban isn’t expected to be an absolute belter, with pacers likely to extract plenty from the surface. Of the 32 result-oriented Tests at the venue, 19 have been won by teams batting first. In the last eight Tests in Durban, teams batting first have won by 200 runs on four occasions. Hence, it’s a no-brainer that teams should look to bat first.

WHEN TO WATCH SOUTH AFRICA VS AUSTRALIA 1ST TEST IN INDIA?

The first Test between South Africa and Australia will start at 1 PM IST.

WHEN TO WATCH SOUTH AFRICA VS AUSTRALIA 1ST TEST IN INDIA?

Live Streaming of the first Test between South Africa and Australia will be available on Fancode.

SOUTH AFRICA VS AUSTRALIA HEAD-TO-HEAD

Overall

Matches – 102 | South Africa – 27 | Australia – 54 | Draw – 21

In South Africa

Matches – 54 | South Africa – 16 | Australia – 29 | Draw – 9

PREDICTED XIS

South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (C), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Anrich Nortje

Australia: Travis Head, Matthew Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Nic Maddinson, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (C), Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

– Ends