The first Test between South Africa and Australia at Kingsmead in Durban has reached its final day, and South Africa are chasing a big target. At about 4:15 pm IST on Tuesday, October 13, South Africa were 187 for 6 after 78.6 overs, needing 421 runs to win, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Scores change ball by ball, so please check a live page for the latest numbers. The figures here are from the time mentioned above.
The match so far
- Australia, first innings: 390. Matt Renshaw top-scored with 190.
- South Africa, first innings: 284.
- Australia, second innings: 314 for 6, declared.
- Target for South Africa: 421.
Who is batting?
At the time of writing, Aiden Markram was not out on 75 and Marco Jansen was not out on 22. South Africa had four wickets left in hand and needed 234 more runs, while Australia needed four more wickets to win.
What can happen from here
A South Africa win needs them to score the remaining runs before the day ends. An Australia win comes if they take the last four wickets. A draw is possible if South Africa bat out the remaining time. In Test cricket, the fifth day is often decided by how long the batters can stay at the crease.
About the series
Australia are touring South Africa for three One Day Internationals and three Tests in September and October 2026. This first Test began on October 9 and is scheduled to finish on October 13, as per Wikipedia.
Questions to think about
- On a fifth-day pitch, who has the upper hand: the batters or the bowlers?
- Is it better to bat for time or go for the runs when the target is this big?
- How much does an early declaration help the team that declares?
Sources: ESPNcricinfo, ABC News score centre and Wikipedia, as of October 13, 2026.
