South Africa were superb with both bat and ball in the opener after making a slow start with both. I am leaning the hosts way once again in this clash.
Key Stats - Breetzke Superb in Series Opener
- South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke scored 112 in the 1st ODI.
- South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton has scores of 54*, 49, 127 & 27 in his last 4 innings.
- South Africa’s Marco Jansen took 5/39 vs Australia at the Wanderers in 2023.
- South Africa have won 30 of their 42 ODIs at the Wanderers
- Australia’s Mitchell Marsh has scored 36, 53 & 60 in his last 4 knocks.
- Australia’s Matt Renshaw has scores of 109 & 44 in his last 4 innings.
- Australia’s Nathan Ellis has taken 5/31, 3/50 & 3/57 in his last 4 matches.
South Africa have Recent Edge
South Africa have won three of their last four ODIs against Australia, including the 1st ODI of their current series.
South Africa Dominant in Opener
The Proteas made it four ODI wins in a row by beating Australia by 67 runs on the back of their 3-0 series whitewash over Namibia earlier in the month.
Matthew Breetzke played a magnificent innings of 112 off 106 balls in the 1st ODI, hitting 14 fours and two sixes. He was the only top six batter to pass 30 and averages 63.23 in ODIs. Marco Jansen played a crucial role in the Proteas reaching 297/8 off their 50 overs, the all-rounder smashing four sixes and seven fours in a 59-ball innings of 75.
Jansen has figures of 3/39, 4/61 and 1/64 in his last three outings with the ball and looks in superb form. The spin duo of Keshav Maharaj (4/20) and Bjorn Fortuin (2/34) proved too hot for the Aussies to handle and should dominate again through the middle overs on the Wanderers track. Fortuin has figures of 3/24 and 4/33 in his previous three innings.
Australia need to Bounce Back
Australia’s four-match winning streak ended at Kingsmead as their bowlers and batters were comprehensively outplayed by the Proteas.
Nathan Ellis has been in great form and knocked over three of the Proteas’ top seven batters in the 1st ODI. Adam Zampa got rid of dangermen Temba Bavuma and Ryan Rickelton in the 1st ODI and has figures of 2/62, 2/53 and 2/50 in his last three matches.
Four of Australia’s top six have centuries in their last four innings, and the other two have also been in the runs, but the top score in the 1st ODI was 60 as they failed to cash in against a strong Proteas attack. Mitchell Marsh top-scored at Kingsmead and his powerful, clean hitting makes him worth backing to be in the runs at The Wanderers.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
The Proteas are unlikely to make any changes to a winning line-up on a Wanderers track that will have something to offer their pacemen and their spin duo. The Aussies have a strong line-up and they will back them to come good on a batting-friendly track.
South Africa (possible XI): Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj.
Australia (possible XI): Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis, Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Jack Edwards, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.