Australia and South Africa clash in the first of three ODIs on Tuesday the 19th of August, with the opener at Cazalys Stadium setting the tone for what promises to be a competitive series.
Both sides have had reasonable recent results, and the head-to-head history between them shows just how evenly matched this rivalry could be. Below, we break down the teams, recent form, and share insights in a betting preview.
AUSTRALIA
Australia come into this series after a shaky run of form in Sri Lanka earlier this year, where they suffered back-to-back defeats in Colombo before steadying with a Champions Trophy win over England by 5 wickets. They later drew a washout with Afghanistan but were edged by India in Dubai during the semi-final of the tournament and had to settle for a 4-wicket defeat.
These mixed results show an Australian side that like their opponents are still searching for consistency, and many young players enter the squad in order to try find the correct combination of players.
With Mitchell Marsh captaining the team, Australia have a balanced blend of power hitters and conservative middle order players. Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne will likely anchor the batting, while the pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis will look to test South Africa’s top order. Spin options in Adam Zampa and Matthew Kuhnemann round off a versatile Australian team.
Australia ODI Squad: 1. Mitchell Marsh (c), 2. Xavier Bartlett, 3. Alex Carey, 4. Cooper Connolly, 5. Ben Dwarshuis, 6. Nathan Ellis, 7. Cameron Green, 8. Aaron Hardie, 9. Josh Hazlewood, 10. Travis Head, 11. Josh Inglis, 12. Matthew Kuhnemann, 13. Marnus Labuschagne, 14. Adam Zampa
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa arrives in Australia after an encouraging Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year, where they looked dominant at times. They thrashed Afghanistan by 107 runs and brushed past England with a 7-wicket win, before falling short to New Zealand by 50 runs in the final four.
Prior to that however, they lost six One Day Internationals in a row and they have ability to compete against the best but are also inconsistent especially when chasing larger totals.
The Proteas’ batting has an exciting mix of youth and experience, with captain Temba Bavuma steadying the order and Aiden Markram providing leadership with both bat and ball. Rising stars like Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs will be eager to showcase their talent against a world class attack, while Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and teenager Kwena Maphaka add plenty of pace options to the side.
South African ODI Squad: 1. Temba Bavuma (c), 2. Aiden Markram, 3. Ryan Rickelton, 4. Dewald Brevis, 5. Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 6. Tristan Stubbs, 7. Matthew Breetzke, 8. Tony de Zorzi, 9. Wiaan Mulder, 10. Prenelan Subrayen, 11. Keshav Maharaj, 12. Corbin Bosch, 13. Nandre Burger, 14. Kagiso Rabada, 15. Lungi Ngidi, 16. Kwena Maphaka, 17. Senuran Muthusamy
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HEAD-TO-HEAD:
The last ODI series between these nations in 2023 was one to remember. Australia dominated the early exchanges, winning the first two matches by 3 wickets and then 123 runs, but South Africa hit back quickly to win the final three ODIs by 111 runs, 164 runs and 122 runs respectively to the delight of the home fans.
At the 2023 World Cup, a month later, South Africa again thumped Australia by 134 runs, before the Aussies got their revenge in the semi-final stages, scraping through with a tense 3-wicket victory at Eden Gardens.
With such a recent history of big wins and narrow thrillers, this series opener promises another competitive battle, especially after the T20 series between the teams which ended in a 2-1 victory for the Aussie’s, who will look to follow this up with yet another triumph, while South Africa will be determined to get revenge.
BETTING: Click here to bet
Australia 1.42
South Africa 2.85
SUGGESTED BETS:
Top South African Batsman – Aiden Markram at 4.00
Markram has grown into a consistent ODI performer and will be key to South Africa’s chances of putting up a competitive score. His ability to rotate the strike and build an innings makes him a strong option and my pick of the South African batsmen.
Top Australian Bowler – Josh Hazlewood at 3.10
Hazlewood’s accuracy and bounce in home conditions make him a real threat with the new ball. Against a top order that can be vulnerable early, I think he looks a good bet to be Australia’s standout bowler.
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but subject to change.
