Marco Jansen faced a restless night of anxiety on Friday, grappling with what he previously described as going “cuckoo in the head.” Ahead of the final Test at Newlands, the allrounder admitted that he managed only about an hour and a half to two hours of sleep, kept awake by persistent thoughts about the match requirements and potential outcomes. A knotty, thorny sequence of long, dark hours when he goes “cuckoo in the head”, as he had told a press conference on Wednesday, marco Jansen had one of those nights on Friday. Going to the bathroom, having a coke, that’s because of looking out my window. Thinking of what we could do, what I could do, what’s going to be required, what if things don’t go our way …”, i hardly got any sleep. “In a weird way, but also a beautiful way, we are driven by this ambition to achieve what it is that we want to achieve; the narratives and the sentiments and the stories that are created around it all,” Bavuma told a pr.
The tension eventually dissipated as South Africa delivered a dominant performance on Saturday, bowling Australia out for 111 in their chase of 288. Australia, who chased a target of 288, were bowled out for 111.
This victory secured a 2-1 series win for the Proteas and propelled them to the top of the ICC Test rankings for the first time since January 2016. Furthermore, the win improved South Africa’s standing in the WTC championship table to second place, while pushing the Australian team down to second in the rankings and third in the standings.
Reflecting on the triumph, Jansen noted that while the initial feeling is a brief sigh of relief, it is quickly replaced by excitement and the satisfaction of contributing to a collective goal. He emphasized that the achievement is a team effort rather than an individual success, which provides him with significant personal joy. “When we end up on the right side of things, for a split second there’s a sigh of relief that it’s over,” Jansen said. “But after that there’s a really good and excited and pumped feeling, knowing that if I played well I’ve contributed. Whether it was on the field or off the field, and also if I didn’t play well I still contributed. And that gives me a lot of joy and happiness, it’s not an individual thing. “It wasn’t easy,” Jansen said. “There were a lot of ups and downs; ebbs and flows.
Jansen’s performance at Newlands included scoring 52 runs with seven fours in the first innings and taking 3/60, though he was dismissed for a duck in his second outing and remained wicketless across eight overs. However, his overall impact throughout the series—most notably his 85 runs and 5/33 in the second Test at St George’s Park—earned him the Player of the Series award. This turnaround was crucial after the team lost the opening Test at Kingsmead by 214 runs. On Saturday he bowled eight wicketless overs for 17. That’s what happens when you bring your team back into the rubber with a 100-ball 85 after they’ve slumped to 110/6. And then take 5/33. Where South Africa found a way to win by an innings and 31 runs after most of the first two days’ play was lost to rain and a wet outfield, jansen did that in the second Test at St George’s Park. There was a stage where I was sitting in the [Newlands] changeroom and you think, ‘Yes. But, whatever decision we make, we back it with 100% conviction.”. Maybe Jansen’s most valuable asset is that he has maintained the link between his smalltown former life and the big time he has reached.
Describing the intensity of the series, Jansen highlighted the constant fluctuations in momentum. He recounted moments in the changing room where the team felt in control, only to face a sudden collapse of four wickets. These hard-fought wins have propelled the young Klerksdorp native to the top of the ICC Test bowling and allrounder rankings, a development he describes as surreal. When I started playing professionally and started my career for the Proteas I never thought of getting into the top 10 bowling or allrounder rankings. I just see myself as a lightie [youngster] from Klerksdorp. Like my dad used to tell myself and my brother [Duan], ‘Moenie dat jou kop te groot raak nie [don’t let you head get too big], fast forward to now where I’m on top of those lists; firstly it’s surreal and secondly.
Jansen remains grounded, recalling his father’s advice to avoid letting his success affect his humility. He credits his mental preparation and ability to maintain composure as the key factors in his consistent performances. Now 26, the allrounder reflected on his journey from watching international stars on television as a high-schooler to becoming a key fixture for the Proteas.
Captain Temba Bavuma praised the team’s resilience, noting the emotional and narrative weight surrounding their progress. Bavuma admitted he likely wouldn’t have predicted this position two years ago, but noted that the team continues to surpass its own expectations through collective belief.
The partnership between Bavuma and head coach Shukri Conrad has been integral to this success. Bavuma described their relationship as a study in contrasts, noting that while he often questions the coach’s unconventional methods, they move forward with absolute conviction in their decisions. Both men viewed the series as an exhausting but thrilling 15-day period of high-pressure cricket, with the home side ultimately prevailing across three five-day matches. Despite the size of those margins the series produced intensely competitive cricket.
