For a team that constantly feels they need to prove themselves, South Africa have never had a bigger opportunity to do it than this week. Victory at Newlands will not only seal the series against Australia for just the second time since readmission and take World Test Championship (WTC) points off the team that sits at the top of the table, but will mean South Africa go to No.1 on the rankings and should surely, surely, underline how good an outfit they are.
Ryan Rickelton wouldn't quite go that far. At least, not yet.
"Australia, for a long period of time, have been the No.1 team in the world and a superior team as well," he said. "For us to even beat them in our conditions is massive. And if we had to go No.1 in the world, that's great. But if we're looking and talking about the bigger picture of things, we've got a full home summer series. If those go according to plan, then we'll eventually end up (at the WTC final) in London, hopefully in June. So ask me that question at the end of June, hopefully if we get to that game and win that game, then my answer will be a bit of a direct yes. For now, both teams are very evenly matched. Australia definitely, through recent history and maybe past history, have got a lot on us in world cricket. We're just living to fight another day and hopefully we can have a really good week this week."
Because South Africa play so few Tests, and their series over the last cycle were only two-Test series, they have to take a wide lens on the format. Unlike Australia, England and India, where the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar trophy or the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy are defining contests, for South Africa, the WTC has created a hallmark cup, especially as they won the last one.
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"When we won the WTC, Temba (Bavuma) spoke to us. It's not just about this game. It's about trying to leave a longer-lasting impression and to try and back that up. And to back that up, you have to beat some of the best teams in the world."
That mission began when South Africa went to the subcontinent for the first series of their title defence, drew with Pakistan and beat India for the first time in 25 years. They didn't play either Australia or England in the last cycle but host them both this summer but after a chastening 214-run loss in Durban, South Africa's status as champions had questions over it. They answered some of them in game two but know they can give a definitive reply at Newlands.
"To be able to force a result in PE (Gqeberha) was massive for us and the confidence they gave the group. We're now sitting in a similar position of 1-1 coming into Cape Town, like we were in 2018 as well," Rickelton said. "The confidence is there. The importance of it as well. We've obviously got Australia here. We've got England coming. We've got a good Bangladesh side as well coming. To be able to consistently do that is something that we've spoken about. It's something that we're looking forward to. If we can get over the line this week, the confidence that injects into this side, into the coaching staff, and just the way that we do things is quite important for us.
Already, South Africa appear a much more assured side than they did in Durban and winning clearly helps. But even before they wrapped up an innings and 31 run win in Gqeberha, they seemed a different team once it was confirmed that Kagiso Rabada would be available. As the only bona fide superstar in the side, Rabada remains the rising tide that lifts all boats and it showed when, after South Africa declared on 425 for 9, Rabada took the first wicket in what became 99 all out.
"That's what KG brings, in all honesty. He has a massive presence in the changing room, he has a massive presence on the field and I think that allows Marco to express himself a little bit more as well," Rickelton said.
Jansen took 5 for 33 in the first innings to leave Australia shell-shocked, after returns of 3 for 68 and 1 for 45 in Durban, where he had to spearhead the attack and was not at his best. "If I look at the first two games, maybe Marco felt, I want to say, the burden of leading the attack, but having to lead the attack," Rickleton said. " Obviously, he's quite a confrontational character on the field as well. With KG, who really gets the ball rolling in that area, it makes it easy for other guys to jump on."
South Africa were noticeably more talkative in the field at St George's Park, with Jansen sharing an exchange with Marnus Labuschagne (and Rickelton confirmed it was in Afrikaans) and Rabada having words with Smith. Unlike in 2018, when Rabada shoulder-brushed Smith, earned enough demerit points to be sanctioned and then successfully appealed, there was no physical contact this time.
"It's never anything too aggressive, it's just pure competitiveness from Rabada. Jansen then gets up for it as well, and the boys kind of get going," Rickleton said. "It wasn't really a massive conversation, it was saying, listen, we're 1-0 down, we've got a good record here, we've got a good team on the field, let's show presence in what we're trying to do, let's let them feel our presence of who we are, and we're not here to fall over. KG led that, Temba led that quietly in his own way with the bat, and then KG took the ball and ran with it."
Rabada is expected to headline South Africa's attack again come the start of the third Test on Tuesday with the possibility of extra pace in the form of Gerald Coetzee or Corbin Bosch. Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the Test with a mild groin injury.