Home
Cricket South Africa (CSA) on October 15 announced their 17-man squad for the second Test of the series against Australia. The selectors have taken a harsh call as they’ve dropped Tristan Stubbs from the squad after scores of 32 and 1 in the Durban Test. They've replaced him with Matthew Breetzke, who has scored just 14 runs from two Tests so far. Kagiso Rabada has retained his place in the squad, but the head coach Shukri Conrad is yet to confirm whether he'll play in the second Test or not.
ADVERTISEMENT
While Stubbs was unimpressive in the Durban Test, he had played a 94-run knock in his previous Test outing against India in Guwahati. Overall, he averages just over 30 from 15 Tests.
Tony de Zorzi did not find a place in the squad. De Zorzi is currently undergoing rehabilitation for his hamstring injury.
South Africa’s squad for 2nd Test vs Australia
Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Kyle Verreynne.
ALSO READ: Keemo Paul becomes 1st visiting bowler to achieve this T20I feat vs India in 19 years
The surprise Breetzke call
Breetzke’s selection is a surprise call. He has a Test appearance against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the last two years. He bagged a duck on debut against Bangladesh. In the Test against Zimbabwe, he registered scores of 13 and 1 as an opener in a high-scoring match. But he has been rewarded for his form in the ODIs. He had scored a century against Australia in Durban ODI.
"Matt has been part of the squad before. The fact that his ODI form is as hot as it is gave him an inside lane and more importantly, it's the attitude and the character Matt brings and has," Conrad said.
Breetzke has played 64 first-class games so far and averages just over 37 with 3,852 runs under his belt. He has 10 tons and 18 fifties in first-class cricket.
Conrad has not finalised the playing XI, which means uncapped Marques Ackermann is in contention for a middle-order role as well.
"There's a few things to consider before we look at the final XI but we are hell of excited," Conrad said. "But we have had the opportunity to lick our wounds and turn this ship in the right direction."
Verreynne to be benched?
Kyle Verreynne retained his spot in the squad after scores of 13 and 1. But he may warm the bench, with Ryan Rickelton set to don the wicketkeeper gloves. It would also lead to Rickelton batting in the middle order and someone else opening the innings alongside Aiden Markram. Verreynne has not crossed the fifty-run mark in his last 13 Test innings.
"With Ricks taking the gloves, there are decisions to be made over whether he does move down the order or whether he can continue to open the batting, which he has done before," Conrad said.
Are Green, Inglis fit to play?
Australia's Cameron Green and Josh Inglis are putting in the work to regain fitness for the second Test, which is scheduled to begin on October 18 at St George's Park, Gqeberha.
Green missed the first Test due to an abdominal injury he sustained during the final ODI of the series. Green may not be ready for bowling workloads and play as a batter. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald had signalled the same before the series.
Also, Inglis has returned to the nets. He had suffered a fractured finger in the ODI series opener. He is set to increase his intensity in training. His injury had resulted in Sam Harper receiving his maiden call-up as a back-up wicketkeeper.
"[Green's] progressing well," McDonald said after Australia's victory in Durban. "He's got a few things to go through in the next three, four days. He'll progress [on] that and, on the back of a soft tissue injury, it can accelerate quite quickly.
"Josh had a couple of hits during this Test match out the back of the nets during lunchtime and that's gone well. It'll be more about the comfort with the splint and how that progresses. He'll have bat vs ball sessions in PE [Gqeberha] and we'll get more information there."
Meanwhile, Australia's revolving door of Test openers may yet continue. McDonald echoed skipper Pat Cummins' sentiments after Matt Renshaw scored a match-winning 190 in the middle order while Nic Maddinson opened on his comeback. Maddinson faced scrutiny after a 33-ball duck but responded with a quickfire 48 in the second innings.
Australia’s squad for Test series vs South Africa
Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Nic Maddinson, Alex Carey (w), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Michael Neser, Scott Boland, Josh Inglis, Sam Harper, Cameron Green, Matthew Kuhnemann, Cooper Connolly.
SA vs AUS Test head-to-head in Gqeberha
South Africa and Australia have faced each other in Tests seven times at the venue. South Africa have won four and lost three of them. In the last two Tests at the venue, South Africa had beaten Australia comprehensively.
How WTC table can change after SA vs AUS 2nd Test
Australia will remain at the top whether they win or lose the second Test. If South Africa manage to level the series, they will stay at no.3 with an improved win percentage of 66.66. But if they lose, South Africa’s win percentage will drop to 50 and they will slip to fifth position.
ADVERTISEMENT
