Australia and South Africa culminated the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle in a historic final at Lord’s, where South Africa took the cricketing world by storm with their win. It was South Africa’s first ICC title, and while it gave cricket in the country a strong boost, the thirst for more trophies has not been quenched (not that it ever is). The next ICC tournament, the 2026 T20 World Cup, is their immediate target, but the side is aiming beyond that. South Africa have been including young players in squads off and on for some time now to build a team that will not need years to mature after the senior players depart.
This series, the first time since 2009 that international cricket will be played in Australia’s Top End, is the right opportunity for them to test those young players. They fielded a relatively inexperienced side in the recent tri-series and made it to the final, although they could not win a single game against New Zealand, including the final.
By contrast, Australia are fresh off a 5–0 series win against the West Indies and will continue to polish the side in preparation for next year’s World Cup. The squad will welcome a handful of senior players and will naturally face the selection headaches that come with having more players than available spots.
Team overview:
Travis Head and one of the Aussie big three, Josh Hazlewood, are back in the squad. The hosts decided to elongate Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins rest to give more game time to the younger players. Nathan Ellis is unlucky to be part of a team that teems with quality pacers. However, the management has become increasingly accepting of the idea of making him a mainstay, especially after his bowling in the Caribbean.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding selections, Australia have confirmed their opening pair. Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh will take the top-of-the-order spots, which means Glenn Maxwell will return to his usual middle-order role. He will join Cameron Green, Mitchell Owen and Tim David to form an explosive middle order.
For South Africa, captain Aiden Markram and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada will return to the squad. Both will play their first internationals since the WTC final. The focus, though, will be on younger players such as Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka. Rabada said he is excited to take Maphaka, who has already been introduced to South Africa’s all-format set-up at a young age, under his wing to help him navigate the challenge.
The Proteas have also called up uncapped spinner Prenelan Subrayen, who is likely to earn his debut cap in the series. With Matt Short injured, Australia might name a replacement for the first few matches, though there is no confirmation yet.
Head-to-head:
In 25 T20Is between the sides, Australia have won 17 while South Africa have won the remaining eight.
Weather and pitch report:
International cricket is returning to Darwin after a long absence, so the conditions remain largely unknown to both sides. The forecast is for clear weather on match day.
Prediction:
Matches between Australia and South Africa are usually intriguing, and it is hard to say which team is definitively superior. However, Australia’s depth and experience might give them the edge this time.
Where to watch:
Australia: Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports, Foxtel
South Africa: SuperSport Action, SuperSport Grandstand, SuperSport Cricket
Pakistan: Tapmad
India: Star Sports, JioCinema
UK: BT TV
USA: Willow TV
