Australia and South Africa: McDonald backs Australia after Test series defeat

The ICC published a report titled “McDonald retains faith in Australia's class despite SA loss,” following Australia's Test series defeat to South Africa. The report said both sides had chances to clinch victory in a series it described as one to remember.

Australia entered the final Test on even terms but could not hold on, eventually losing by 176 runs. The defeat was Australia's first Test series loss of 2026; earlier in the year, the team beat England 4-1 in the Ashes and drew 1-1 with Bangladesh.

The result also cost Andrew McDonald's team the top spot in the ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings, with South Africa taking the summit. Looking to the rest of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, McDonald told Cricinfo that Australia remained a very good team with very good players, while acknowledging areas for improvement and decisions about who comes in next.