The ODI series between South Africa and Australia has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. The Kangaroos won the first two matches of the series while the Proteas bounced back and handed two crushing defeats to the Mitchell Marsh-led side. With the series on the line in the final ODI of the series at the Wanderers Stadium, in Johannesburg, both teams will be eager to get the job done and get that much-needed morale boost ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023.
When it comes to form, Heinrich Klaasen stole the show in the fourth ODI. The 32-year-old dismantled the Aussie bowling unit, hitting 174 runs in just 83 deliveries. David Miller too decimated the Australians, hitting 82* runs in 45 deliveries. Rassie van der Dussen played well too. With the ball, Lungi Ngidi picked up four wickets while Kagiso Rabada picked up three. Hence, both batting and bowling have been exceptional so far for the Temba Bavuma-led side.
Australia have plenty of problems to address at the moment. Travis Head suffered an unfortunate injury and has been ruled out of the upcoming match. David Warner’s form is a matter of concern as well. Alex Carey hit 99 in the last match and his form can prove to be valuable. When it comes to the bowling unit, Adam Zampa leaked 113 runs in 10 overs in the last match. Others have looked off-colour as well.
SA vs AUS Match Details:
Match: South Africa vs Australia, 5th ODI Match
Venue: Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Date & Time: Sunday, September 17, 01:30 PM IST
Live Streaming Details: Star Sports Network and Fan Code
SA vs AUS Pitch Report:
The pitch at the Wanderers Stadium is expected to support the pacers. Another 300+ plus game is very much on the cards and bowling first will be ideal.
SA vs AUS Head-to-Head Record:
Matches – 106, South Africa – 53, Australia – 50, NR – 1, Tied – 3
SA vs AUS Probable Playing XI
South Africa (SA):
Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Australia (AUS):
David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh (c), Alex Carey (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Tim David, Michael Neser, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Probable Best Performers:
Probable Best Batter:
Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa)
Heinrich Klaasen has been extraordinary so far in the series. In the last match, he decimated the Aussie bowlers and established his authority in the middle. He has hit 237 runs in four matches so far and with that, the 32-year-old is the second-leading run-scorer of the series. Therefore, he will be extremely vital in the series finale as well.
Probable Best Bowler:
Lungi Ngidi (South Africa)
The ace South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi picked up four wickets in the last match and if he manages to keep up with the form, it will be extremely difficult for the Aussie batters.