Australian captain Pat Cummins has conceded his side will take some time to process their 2-1 Test series loss to South Africa following the Proteas incredible comeback to win the decider in Cape Town on Saturday.

Australia traveled to South Africa looking to boost their position at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) table. They got off to a flying start with a commanding 214-run win in the first Test in Durban. But back-to-back losses in Gqeberha and Cape Town saw them lose the series to Cummins' side who admitted his side didn't perform to the level they wanted to.

“I think we're a really good side. Tough opposition on the road. It's always tough. We came into this series with a lot of hope. Thought we were good enough to win this series, but we weren't. We've got a couple of weeks to process it,” Cummins said.

Pat Cummins admits a disappointing defeat

Cummins said the side is looking forward to their upcoming matches as they will head back home before the two important Tests.

“We've got a couple of big series coming up, but we're heading back home so we know that place pretty well. But yeah overall we're pretty happy with where we're at,” he added.

Australia looked to have the series wrapped up after putting on a strong display in Durban. Despite some initial struggles with the bat, Australia picked up and won comfortably by 214 runs to take the series 1–0.

But South Africa put on an incredible response in the second test in Gqeberha. The home team ran riot to bowl Australia out for 99 and win by innings and 31 runs to level the series.

The third test at Newlands was just as heartbreaking for Cummins and co. Australia gained a solid 100-run lead, but struggled when South Africa batted second. Ryan Rickelton scored an impressive 101 and Wiaan Mulder chipped in with 115 to help South Africa set Australia a target of 288.

Kagiso Rabada got things going early on before Simon Harmer took charge of the Australian batting line-up. The off-spinner took six wickets as Australia were bowled out for 111. South Africa gained an emphatic 176-run victory and took the series 2-1.

The loss means Australia have dropped from first to third in the World Test Championship for the 2025-27 cycle. Australia are now on 69.23 percentage points.

This means New Zealand have taken the top spot on 72.22 percentage points, while South Africa have moved to second with 71.43. Australia have 108 points from 13 tests so far, with nine wins and four losses.

When will Australia play their next test match?

Despite the loss in South Africa, Australia still have nine tests to play in the current World Test Championship cycle.

They will now face New Zealand in a four-test home series starting on December 9 in Perth. The remaining tests will take place in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, with the series running into January.

Australia will then head to India for a tough five-test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. This will be another big challenge for Cummins and co after their disappointing performances against South Africa.

Having nine tests to play in the current WTC cycle means Australia have plenty of opportunities to move up the ladder. But they will need to improve their consistency greatly after losing the series lead against the Proteas.