Australia chose to field after winning the toss.
After the first game, Australia will be more cautious since the pitches are too quick for batting and the second inning’s bowlers might not perform as well as they did in the first. In their opening game, SA swiftly approached the mark thanks to Q de Kock’s 178 runs. In 45 balls, RR Rossouw scored 63 runs.
It was a great stand, and SA lost their first wicket at 145. The dismissal of four Australian batters by AL Phehlukwayo was a devastating blow to Australia. But compared to the first match, the circumstances are very different today. Q de Kock, the SA opener, lost his wicket at 22.
South Africa Team
Q de Kock†, RR Rossouw, F du Plessis*, JP Duminy, DA Miller, F Behardien, AL Phehlukwayo, WD Parnell, DW Steyn, K Rabada, Imran Tahir.
Australia Team
DA Warner, AJ Finch, SPD Smith*, GJ Bailey, MR Marsh, TM Head, MS Wade†, JW Hastings, A Zampa, CP Tremain, JM Mennie.
Johannesburg has had water limitations, leaving groundskeepers hoping for some early spring rain to help with grass growth. It will be interesting to observe if this has a negative impact on the outfield or even the pitch. The weekend has been bright, and Sunday is expected to be 23°C.
After Friday’s loss, Australia’s captain Steve Smith made no mention of possible lineup adjustments. A 48-hour gap between matches leaves little time for reflection, even in light of Quinton de Kock’s thrashing of Australia’s already-weak attack or the batsmen’s failure to capitalise on a run-friendly surface.
Dale Steyn’s physical condition is being watched in South Africa. Despite bowling the entire allotment in his first ODI since suffering a shoulder injury against England last December, he wasn’t at his best, twice left the field, and repeatedly appeared worried about the shoulder.
His victorious Test comeback against New Zealand on the same field in August was a far cry from that performance. Hashim Amla, who only joined the team on Wednesday after the birth of his third child, was ill on Friday but could play again.
Second ODI highlights from Australia’s ODI series against South Africa
ODI 3787 | 2016–17 campaign
played on October 2 at New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg (50-over match)
Scorecard
361/6 South Africa (50 overs)
211 Australia
By 142 runs, South Africa prevailed.
