The Proteas won the series opener at a canter in Paarl, but Australia looked off the pace and their decision to play seven batsmen backfired.
The hosts will be happy with the debut of Kyle Verreynne and the innings of Heinrich Klaasen that showed the Proteas have middle-order batting options.
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
South Africa vs Australia | Wednesday 4 March 2020 | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein | 13:00
To Win Match
South Africa 7/4
Tie 35/1
Australia 47/100
South Africa
It is too soon to celebrate anything, but the Proteas started the ODI series against Australia making all the right noises. They resisted Australia when early wickets threatened a collapse and found their middle-order backbone.
On most surfaces in the modern game, a team is well served picking two spinners even if this idea seems anathema to the Proteas they deployed a duo of tweakers to significant effect in Paarl and should continue in Bloemfontein.
Keshav Maharaj took 4/32 when he visited the ground with the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in a recent One-Day Cup match suggesting the pitch is responsive to slow bowling.
Quinton de Kock gives the Proteas extra incentive to want to bat first on the Mangaung Oval surface with his potential to give South Africa a flying start.
Australia
Australia got a few starts, but all in all, were off the pace in Paarl and slumped to their ninth defeat to the Proteas in their last ten ODI contests.
South Africa have put a premium on early wickets and turned to the spinners to bog the Aussie middle order down, and the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey and D’Arcy Short haven’t found a way to combat that. The trio contributed just 39 runs while Marsh and Short’s bowling cost Australia 70 in ten overs.
Australia will surely mull over bringing Ashton Agar into the XI even if it does weaken the batting, in theory. Adam Zampa still looks to have the Proteas number, but he needs some support.
Mitchell Starc has shown the ability to take wickets almost at will, he has also occasionally switched off though, so it will be interesting to see which version of the quick turns up in Bloem.
Verdict: South Africa 7/4
A series win at last, with big value on the Proteas to claim victory in Mangaung at 7/4.
