Cape Town: The three-match World Test Championship series between South Africa and Australia will be decided at Newlands, where the third Test begins on Tuesday with the series level at 1-1 and play scheduled to start at 10:30 local time. Both sides have produced one dominant performance each, and both arrive in Cape Town with questions to answer.
Australia struck first in Durban, winning by 214 runs, but South Africa’s response in Gqeberha was emphatic. Temba Bavuma’s 179 anchored a commanding total, Marco Jansen followed his 85 with a five-wicket haul, and Australia were bowled out for just 99 in their first innings as the hosts completed victory by an innings and 31 runs to square the series.
The hosts, though, have been dealt a significant blow. Fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the decider with a mild groin injury sustained in Gqeberha, where his match ended after only 3.3 overs in Australia’s first innings. Cricket South Africa named an otherwise unchanged 16-man squad and announced no replacement for Nortje, leaving Gerald Coetzee, Dane Paterson and Corbin Bosch as the options to fill the vacancy if South Africa stick with a four-pronged seam attack alongside Kagiso Rabada and Jansen.
Australia have their own selection call to make. Cameron Green is available again after his abdominal injury, although he returns as a specialist batter only and cannot bowl yet, which affects the balance of an attack that may need its all-rounder’s overs on a Newlands surface that can flatten out. The visitors’ bigger concern is their batting: the collapse for 99 in Gqeberha exposed a fragility against pace and movement that South Africa’s attack will look to exploit again, even without Nortje’s extra pace.
There is plenty riding on the result beyond the series trophy. In the World Test Championship standings, Australia sit at the top on 75 per cent of available points, while South Africa are third on 66.67 per cent — a win at Newlands would tighten the race at the top of the table, while defeat would leave the loser playing catch-up in the cycle.
Brief scores so far in the series: 1st Test, Durban — Australia won by 214 runs. 2nd Test, Gqeberha — South Africa 425 for 9 declared (Bavuma 179, Jansen 85; Boland 5 for 81) beat Australia 99 and 295 by an innings and 31 runs.
