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With the series tied at 1-1, Australia and South Africa head off to Canberra to feature in a crucial third game of the series. Join The Roar for live coverage of game from the Manuka Oval starting at 2:20pm (AEDT).
It’s been the kind of series which is usually what an Australia-South Africa match-up dishes out. No team usually has a clear-cut advantage and it’s usually a sneak-through at the end that seals the series for one of them.
So after South Africa messed it up on the field in the first ODI and came down crashing in their chase of 300, it was Australia’s turn to capitulate in the second ODI with the bat.
A score of 154 was never going to enough to defend even on a spicy track like the WACA but Australia did well to make a match of it. It was all over before the 28th over ended, but not before South Africa had received a scare and fell to seven wickets down.
Mitchell Marsh played another of his matured knocks but received no support at the other end for Australia.
AB de Villiers also showed why he is considered the best ODI batsman in the world today with a counter-attacking effort that left South Africa with very little else to do in the second game.
Action now moves to Canberra, which will be hosting just its fourth ODI in its history and Australia will be without Mitchell Johnson, who has been rested from the rest of the series in order to get him fit for the Tests. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have replaced him in the squad.
One of these two new bowlers should make it to the starting XI unless the track at the Manuka Oval assists spin from the very go and the selectors did not want to give either of Hazlewood or Nathan Coulter-Nile a break. In that case, Xavier Doherty will be their go-to man with Marsh and Shane Watson expected to shoulder more responsibility with the ball.
The batting may not change but Glenn Maxwell at eight seems far too deep down to me.
South Africa have just one question to answer – do they continue with the same XI from the previous game or bring in an extra bowling all-rounder? Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson and Ryan McLaren are the options they have but it must be said that Farhaan Behardien did a good job with the ball last game.
Join me for this third ODI between Australia and South Africa on Wednesday here and you can follow the live score of this game from 2:20pm (AEDT) and post your comments in the section below.
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