South Africa v Australia, 3rd ODI, Durban – Preview

Australia began its limited-overs tour of South Africa with a resounding win over Ireland in the one-off One-Day International, but things have gone remarkably pear-shaped for Steven Smith’s men since.

Since sweeping Ireland aside by nine wickets with nearly 20 overs to spare a week back, Australia has been firmly put in its place by Faf du Plessis’s South Africa. Going into the third ODI at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday (October 5), the home side holds a commanding 2-0 advantage in the five-match series against an Australian side with a very inexperienced bowling attack, and therefore heavily reliant on its formidable batting group to do the damage.

Australia’s batting hasn’t exactly fired on all cylinders thus far. The tally of 294 for 9 in the first game was less than par on a batting beauty in Centurion, a total hunted down with extraordinary ease as Quinton de Kock hammered a masterly 178. Du Plessis then overcame a thumb injury to rattle up a century of his own in the second match in Johannnesburg as South Africa amassed 361 for 6, and bowled out Australia for 219.

With several top pacemen either rested or injured – both, in Mitchell Starc’s case – Australia’s attack wears a distinctly inexperienced look, thereby necessitating the batting to compensate. But, apart from sporadic shows of brilliance, Australia has appeared undercooked in that department too, a fact highlighted by George Bailey heading into the must-win third match.

“We've certainly got a young bowling attack but I think the thing that's been the most disappointing is our batting the last two games,” said Bailey said ahead of the third match. “We were under par in game one and 360 is a big total, but you saw it on that ground it was great value for money, the ball flew everywhere and our run rate was going pretty well.

"All the batters are hitting the ball pretty well, it's just that nobody's getting a hundred and the South Africans have had a guy score a hundred in each of those games. As much as the focus could be on our young bowling attack, I think it's the batters who have got to step up.”

Australia’s highest individual score this series remains Bailey’s 74 in Centurion, and there have only been three other half-centuries – from John Hastings lower down the order in the first ODI, and from David Warner and Travis Head in the second. Smith has managed just eight and 14 in the two innings so far.

By contrast, apart from the centuries, South Africa has benefited twin fifties from Rilee Roussow at the top of the order, and JP Duminy’s stunning unbeaten 82 at the Wanderers.

Given the ease with which South Africa has pulled away, it is hard to imagine that it has been without AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla so far. De Villiers, the regular ODI and Test captain, is out of the series after undergoing surgery on his left elbow, while Amla missed the first game through illness and was not picked for the second.

Australia has had to rely on Hastings and Scott Boland, between them just 38 ODIs old, to shore up the pace attack that includes Daniel Worrall, Chris Tremain and Joe Mennie, all of whom made their international debuts on this tour. All of them have travelled the distance, meaning the pressure on Adam Zampa, the young leg-spinner, has been immense on two surfaces that have encouraged searing strokeplay.

The absence of Starc, du Plessis said, was what was hurting Australia the most. Originally rested from the tour so that he could be fresh for the upcoming home summer that begins with the first of three Tests against South Africa in Perth on November 3, the left-arm paceman picked up a horrific leg injury while training. The injury necessitated nearly three dozen stitches near the shin, though indications are that Starc will be available by the time the home Tests against South Africa begin.

“You throw Starc back into that team, it's completely different,” said du Plessis. “He's proven many times he gets wickets ... he's got that extra pace. He's extremely good to the tail-enders. He gets the ball to reverse.

“In the West Indies he did that to us twice, came in and just rolled over the tail,” added the South African skipper, alluding to the triangular series in June when Australia defeated the home side in the final. “Extra pace in all formats is a weapon that a captain wants to have in his side.”

For Australia, the equation from here is pretty straightforward if it wants to win the series – win all three matches. The task, however, is far from straightforward.
Teams (from)South Africa: Faf du Plessis (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir.

Australia: Steven Smith (capt), George Bailey, Scott Boland, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa.