In the end, Australia did just enough to win, though the winning margin of 245 runs is misleading of how close they came to missing out on claiming a Test series victory over South Africa.
Only five overs, 30 balls, were remaining on Wednesday at the Newlands ground when Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, had brought Ryan Harris back into the attack with two wickets still needed.
Harris, who is due to have knee surgery following this match, had already bowled 24 overs, but he stepped up by bowling Dale Steyn with the first ball of his new spell and then two deliveries later doing the same to Morne Morkel to spark celebrations among the Australian players and their support staff.
The desperation for the Australians to triumph had been apparent by their furious reaction after the decision to dismiss Vernon Philander after he had been caught off Mitchell Johnson had been overturned by the TV umpire Richard Illingworth with 15 overs to go.
Clarke will probably squirm when he watches replays of his behaviour in reacting to that decision, leading the anger rather than trying to calm it, as he confronted Steyn on the field.
It was one of very few missteps made by Clarke in the series, as he and Darren Lehmann, the coach, oversaw a remarkable turnaround in the side’s fortunes.
Given where Australia were in July, having been thrashed by England in the second Test in Lord’s to go 2-0 down in the summer Ashes tour, this on the back of losing 4-0 in India earlier this year, the revival has been astonishing.
Some of the gloss of the winter Ashes whitewash was, wrongly, taken away from Australia by England’s very apparent problems as they self-destructed in the face of Australia’s pressure.
But there can be no taking away from the achievement of defeating the world No 1 side, on their home turf, and deservedly so.
There is a reason Graeme Smith’s side had not lost a Test series for five years. They are fierce competitors, who bat deep in their order, and had what was perceived as the best pace attack in the world in Steyn, Philander and Morkel.
The fact they batted for 134 overs in attempting to save the Test summed up their spirit.
Smith retires as a losing captain which, given what he has achieved with the Proteas, is a shame, but ultimately he had no complaint, rightfully acknowledging they had been outplayed by their opponents in the rubber match.
It is not hard to see why Australia won. They have a great captain in Clarke, a free-thinker unafraid to try something different.
As with any good leader it helps he has a strong bowling attack with which to play with, but you still have to use it well and that is something Clarke has done.
Johnson was the outstanding bowler of the series, his 12 wickets in Centurion were a terrific personal achievement, while opener David Warner’s 543 runs were equally important.
It was not just the number of runs he scored, but it was the manner Warner got them, in cavalier fashion with a string of attacking shots, that impressed as he regularly put the Proteas on the back foot.
The only shame is this was only three Tests. A best-of-five would have been far more fitting for a clash of comfortably the best two Test sides in the world.
Clarke and Lehmann now have the summer to start plotting their side’s next challenge, in October, doing something both South Africa and England have failed to do in the past: win a Test series against Pakistan in the UAE.
Watching them try will be fascinating.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
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