4 major stats from South Africa's ODI win in Mackay - is 2025 the start of their dominance over Australia?

On Friday (August 22), South Africa handed Australia a 84-run defeat in Mackay in the second ODI, thereby sealing the three-match series with a game to spare. It was the second successive thrashing for the hosts, having lost the opening game in Cairns by 98 runs. This has capped a happy phase for South Africa who have dominated the Aussies this year.

Historically, since the 1999 World Cup semifinal heartbreak, South Africa have often wilted against Australia, particularly in crunch games. They would still compete and rack up wins at times but you could sense a mental vulnerability for the Proteas when they played the Aussies. Even in the last ODI World Cup in 2023, South Africa looked a strong outfit but faltered in the semifinal against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Which is why 2025 could be a turning point in how they approach Australia in future big events.

The World Test Championship final at Lord's in June was a massive encounter in South Africa's cricketing history and to emerge victorious in that game, that too by a comfortable margin, spoke volumes of their progress as a red-ball side. Australia would have fancied defending their WTC title successfully but that wasn't to be. The fact that the Proteas did this after being under the pump early in the game will boost them in high-pressure games going forward, not just against Australia but in general.

The white-ball tour to Australia has also gone to plan for South Africa, although they would have wanted to seal the T20I series as well. However, they only lost it by a 1-2 margin and to be fair, they had their moments to win all three games. In the two ODIs so far, the World Champions have looked clueless with the bat. With Steve Smith, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell officially retired from the 50-over format, there is a mini-transition going on with the squad but that doesn't explain their mediocrity with the bat. South Africa's bowling even with the absence of Kagiso Rabada have been too hot to handle for the Aussies.

Here is a look at four big stats after South Africa's series-sealing win:

4 - This is Australia's fourth successive home ODI where they have failed to score 200

2 - Lungi Ngidi's second ODI fifer against Australia, the most by any South African

1 - Australia have only won one of their last eight completed ODIs

5 - This is South Africa's fifth successie bilateral ODI series win against Australia