The South African team is currently in excellent form. They recently won the World Test Championship title, defeating Australia in the final.
Sports News: The South African team's victorious run doesn't seem to be stopping after winning the World Test Championship trophy. The Temba Bavuma-led African team decisively defeated host Zimbabwe by 328 runs in the first Test played at the Queen's Sports Club in Bulawayo, equaling their record by winning their 9th consecutive Test match and making history.
It is noteworthy that South Africa recently won the title by defeating Australia in the final of the Test Championship, and now, immediately after this historic achievement, the team has achieved another big victory. With this win, the South African team has proven that their claim to be the best in Test cricket is undeniable at present.
South Africa's Dominance from the First Innings
From the start of the match, South Africa displayed their dominance. In the first innings, the African batsmen showcased a steady batting performance and declared their innings at a score of 418/9. The opening batsmen provided a solid start, and the middle order converted it into a big score. Captain Bavuma scored a crucial 91 runs, while Jondo played a brilliant century innings of 134 runs.
In response, Zimbabwe's team could only score 251 runs in the first innings. Sean Williams scored a century for them, but the other batsmen struggled against the African fast bowlers. South Africa got a solid lead of 167 runs on the basis of the first innings.
Africa's Aggressive Approach in the Second Innings
In the second innings too, South Africa gave Zimbabwe no chance to make a comeback. The African batsmen, batting in an aggressive style, scored 369 runs and set a huge target of 537 runs for Zimbabwe. In this innings too, Jondo scored 78 runs, while Keegan Petersen added a quick 66 runs.
Chasing 537 runs, Zimbabwe's team looked completely under pressure in the second innings and was bundled out for just 208 runs. Thus, the African team registered a big victory of 328 runs, further strengthening its name in history.
Made History by Winning 9 Consecutive Tests
With this win, South Africa has repeated its own 22-year-old record of winning 9 consecutive Test matches. Before this, South Africa had won 9 consecutive Tests between March 15, 2002, and May 1, 2003. Now, the African team has once again achieved this feat. The special thing is that Africa has not lost any Test match since August 2024. The team's last defeat was against India in January 2024, after which this team has remained invincible.
If South Africa succeeds in winning the next Test of the current series, it will become the third team in Test history to win 10 or more consecutive Test matches. Previously, this achievement has only been achieved by Australia and West Indies.
Teams with the Most Consecutive Test Wins
- Australia – 16 (1999–2001)
- Australia – 16 (2005–2008)
- West Indies – 11 (1984)
- Sri Lanka – 9 (2001–2002)
- South Africa – 9 (2002–2003 and 2024–25)
The bowlers also played an important role in South Africa's historic victory. Rabada, Nortje, and Maharaj did not give the Zimbabwe batsmen a chance to play freely in both innings. Rabada took a total of 8 wickets in the match, while spinner Maharaj also took 3 crucial wickets in the second innings, breaking the back of the opposition team.
