Australia and South Africa renew ODI rivalry in low-key series

Do you remember the last time that Australia and South Africa played each other in an ODI?

That would be the second semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup at Eden Gardens, and we all know what happened after Pat Cummins’ team won that thrilling knockout match, don’t we? 

A lot has transpired for both teams since then. They were due to play each other during this year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Rawalpindi, but rain killed the match before a ball was bowled. Neither team has played an ODI since that tournament in March, and while there is over two years until the next World Cup in 2027, given the transitional phase that Australia and South Africa are in, the three-match series starting in Cairns on August 19 could provide some interesting insights. 

For Australia, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell have retired. Cummins and Mitchell Starc are on a break. Spencer Johnson and Matt Short are out injured, and the trio of Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sean Abbott and Tanveer Sangha have been dropped. 

In their places, the Cricket Australia selectors have added Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Xavier Bartlett, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Kuhnemann. Marsh will lead Australia and Green is set to play his first ODI in almost a year. 

Labuschagne, after losing his place in the Test and T20I teams, should be relishing the chance to have a go at the country of his birth. He averages over 55 in ODIs against South Africa, with his two centuries in the format coming against them. 

Australia have named two wicketkeepers in Josh Inglis and Alex Carey, and it is likely that the former gets the gloves in this series. 

Taking a look at South Africa’s squad, it is a mix of experience and potential, some of whom displayed their skills in the T20Is last week. Rassie van der Dussen has been dropped and Heinrich Klaasen has retired, but there is much to expect from 22-year-old Dewald Brevis. 

Yet to debut in ODIs, Brevis showed the Australian audience what he can do in T20Is by smashing a century off 41 balls in Darwin and speedy fifty in Cairns. He boasts an impressive List A record and should get the nod for the series opener while batting in the middle order. 

Kwena Maphaka, the 19-year-old pace bowler, was not initially part of South Africa’s ODI squad but was added after claiming nine wickets in the T20I leg of this tour. He adds pace to an attack led by Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. 

Bringing some much-needed experience to the squad are the captain Temba Bavuma and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. 

Going back 12 ODIs to 2018, South Africa own a 9-3 advantage over Australia. Australia, who played aggressive T20I cricket under Marsh as they swept West Indies 5-0 and then pipped South Africa 2-1 last week, will be out to correct that anomaly. 

Australia likely 11: 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Cameron Green, 6 Alex Carey, 7 Cooper Connolly, 8 Aaron Hardie, 9 Xavier Bartlett, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam Zampa

South Africa likely 11: 1 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Deward Brevis, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Wiann Mulder, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Kwena Maphaka