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The final of the Zimbabwe tri-series will be played between Australia and South Africa and you can follow the live scores and blog of this ODI on Saturday starting 5.30 pm AEST.
It has been an interesting league stage and one that was barely able to separate the two teams which made the final in the end. South Africa looked better in parts but Australia will claim the set-score, in keeping with the tennis flavour from the US Open, is 1-1.
In short, we are headed into the decider with the team winning this game, laying the rightful claim to the title.
South Africa showed their pedigree in all but one of their games, their only loss coming at the hands of Australia. They came back strongly next game to out-muscle the hosts, Zimbabwe and seal their berth in the final.
Australia, on the other hand, went down to the Proteas in their opening encounter and when most fans expected them to bounce back from that defeat, they further plummeted to depths of woes, with a loss to Zimbabwe.
If the Aussie batting in that game was below-par – thanks to their frailties against spin bowling – their bowling lacked penetration and was listless at best. The absence of Mitchell Johnson seemed to peg them back further.
Any other team would have had their morale crushed so badly by that defeat to Zimbabwe that coming back from it would have been an improbable scenario. That Australia managed that can be attributed to their mental strength and to the combination of Mitchell Marsh and Johnson.
Marsh helped Australia set up a solid total in that game, building on a base set by Phil Hughes before Johnson’s terrific spell of 2/30 from nine overs pulled the Aussies through to an easy win.
That win, however, did not look a foregone conclusion till the time Faf du Plessis was at the crease – busy constructing a second successive century against the Aussies. He followed it up with a third one of the series and as acknowledged by his captain, AB de Villiers, is in the form of his life.
While de Villiers will hope he hasn’t peaked too early before the World Cup, he wouldn’t a fourth ton in the final of this competition.
So what will the playing XIs of the two teams look like?
South Africa have a problem. Or two. Morne Morkel has a rotator cuff tear which he will need to overcome early morning on Saturday if he wants to feature in the game, while middle-order batsman – and all-rounder in these conditions – JP Duminy has a knee issue.
If Duminy gets ruled out, and in the absence of Ryan McLaren, Rilee Rossouw will get another chance to show his credentials, while Morkel could be replaced by Imran Tahir, who was rested from the previous one.
Australia will look to push for the same playing XI but the presence of Kane Richardson could be a bit of question-mark – he is struggling side injury and could sit out. James Faulkner will come in his place.
Join me for this 5th ODI between Australia and South Africa on Tuesday here and you can follow the live score of this game from 5.30 pm and post your comments below.
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