'It's win or lose': Ryan Rickelton predicts thrilling final-day finish in South Africa-Australia decider
toi
newspoint|31-10-2026
With the series trophy, the No. 1 spot in the Test rankings and valuable World Test Championship (WTC) points on the line, South Africa and Australia are bracing for a high-stakes finish to their three-match series at Newlands. After a remarkable fightback from the hosts, the series-deciding third Test is delicately poised heading into the final day on Saturday, with South Africa wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton ruling out the possibility of a stalemate.
"It's win or lose, I guess. No draw tomorrow. If you had to say that it's going down to the third Test, day five, with all three results on the cards or two results on the cards, yeah, I wouldn't have believed it. It's been a special series," Rickelton said, as quoted by cricinfo.
Rickelton, Mulder hundreds power South Africa's fightback
Centuries from Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder helped South Africa recover from a precarious position and set Australia a challenging target of 288 runs to win the series-deciding third Test of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.
Resuming their second innings at 140/4 on the fourth morning, the hosts eventually reached 387 before being bowled out in 134.4 overs, putting themselves in a strong position to push for a series victory.
The foundation of South Africa's recovery was a magnificent 154-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Rickelton and Mulder. Rickelton struck 101 off 219 deliveries, while Mulder contributed 115 off 221 balls. Their stand is the second-highest sixth-wicket partnership by South Africa against Australia in Test cricket.
Rickelton warns Australia of challenging fourth-innings chase
Rickelton acknowledged that the new ball could present Australia with an opportunity to accelerate their chase, although the slow and deteriorating nature of the pitch could make the task considerably tougher.
"I just think with that new ball, there's obviously runs available, and there's obviously wickets too. It has been quite slow. If Australia obviously fancy having a go at it, it might just factor into it. For them to bat at effectively threes the whole day will be a big ask, especially on a slower, lower deteriorating wicket," he added.
Earlier, South Africa were bowled out for 329 in their first innings before Australia responded with 429, taking a crucial 100-run lead. However, the hosts' second-innings resurgence has turned the contest on its head and left Australia with a challenging fourth-innings target.
With the three-match series level at 1-1, both teams have everything to play for on the final day. Australia must chase down 288 to secure the series, while South Africa need 10 wickets to seal a memorable victory on home soil.
"It's win or lose, I guess. No draw tomorrow. If you had to say that it's going down to the third Test, day five, with all three results on the cards or two results on the cards, yeah, I wouldn't have believed it. It's been a special series," Rickelton said, as quoted by cricinfo.
Rickelton, Mulder hundreds power South Africa's fightback
Centuries from Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder helped South Africa recover from a precarious position and set Australia a challenging target of 288 runs to win the series-deciding third Test of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.
Resuming their second innings at 140/4 on the fourth morning, the hosts eventually reached 387 before being bowled out in 134.4 overs, putting themselves in a strong position to push for a series victory.
The foundation of South Africa's recovery was a magnificent 154-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Rickelton and Mulder. Rickelton struck 101 off 219 deliveries, while Mulder contributed 115 off 221 balls. Their stand is the second-highest sixth-wicket partnership by South Africa against Australia in Test cricket.
Rickelton warns Australia of challenging fourth-innings chase
Rickelton acknowledged that the new ball could present Australia with an opportunity to accelerate their chase, although the slow and deteriorating nature of the pitch could make the task considerably tougher.
"I just think with that new ball, there's obviously runs available, and there's obviously wickets too. It has been quite slow. If Australia obviously fancy having a go at it, it might just factor into it. For them to bat at effectively threes the whole day will be a big ask, especially on a slower, lower deteriorating wicket," he added.
Earlier, South Africa were bowled out for 329 in their first innings before Australia responded with 429, taking a crucial 100-run lead. However, the hosts' second-innings resurgence has turned the contest on its head and left Australia with a challenging fourth-innings target.
With the three-match series level at 1-1, both teams have everything to play for on the final day. Australia must chase down 288 to secure the series, while South Africa need 10 wickets to seal a memorable victory on home soil.
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