Get set for the start of one of the world’s most-watched cricket rivalries as the men from the Rainbow Nation, South Africa, are set to lock horns with reigning, defending, undisputed 6-time ODI World Cup Champions, Australia, for an epic 3-match ODI series followed by what promises to be a classic 3-match Test series. The tour starts on September 24th, while the series opener is set to take place on that day at Kingsmead in Durban.
South Africa will be led by Temba Bavuma as their main string players return after a lay-off. The second-string side played in Namibia and won that ODI series 3-0 easily. Australia will welcome back their original captain, Pat Cummins back alongside Mitchell Starc as well. It will be interesting to see whether Cummins plays all the 3 ODIs or rotates, and if that’s the case, then Mitchell Marsh will lead the side. The stage is set for an intriguing battle over the course of the next month or so.
Overview
The stage is set for cricket’s most awaited and watched rivalry to take centre stage as hosts South Africa lock horns with six-time ODI World Cup champions Australia in a 3-match ODI series which precedes the Test series starting in October. The first of three matches takes place at Kingsmead, Durban on 24th September, 2026 from 1:30 PM IST onwards. It is the battle of equals, and anything can happen.
Australia last toured South Africa for an ODI series in September 2023, ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023, where the Proteas staged a memorable comeback. After Australia took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, South Africa roared back to win the remaining three consecutive matches and take the series 3-2.
Both teams arrive in Durban with similar ODI outings. Australia enter the contest coming off after sweeping Zimbabwe 3-0 in their own backyard. South Africa, meanwhile, kick off their home summer with this fixture, looking to build momentum towards the 2027 ODI World Cup and last toured their neighbouring country, Namibia, where the Proteas clinched the ODI series in a dominating 3-0 whitewash in the 3-match series.
Australia’s selection dynamics have seen late reshuffles ahead of the series opener. Uncapped New South Wales all-rounder Jack Edwards has been drafted into Australia’s squad, replacing fast bowler Billy Stanlake, who suffered a side strain while featuring in the 2nd ODI against Zimbabwe. Additionally, Spencer Johnson, the left-arm pacer, has been released from the squad to manage his workload for Australia A’s One-Day matches against India A in Puducherry.
Cameron Green returns to the squad after recovering from a shoulder issue that kept him out of the Zimbabwe series, with reports coming in that he could potentially feature in the ODIs. But the biggest boost to the Aussies remains the return of their captain and talismanic player Pat Cummins and fellow superstar Mitchell Starc. Also, another NSW prospect, Joel Davies, is in the mix of things to make his debut.
Speaking about the batting unit, it remains the same, which played against Zimbabwe in the last series, with reliance on the form of Cooper Connolly and Matthew Renshaw, who is coming off his maiden ODI century in the last series. And the firepower of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head at the top rounds up a destructive-looking batting unit.
The hosts South Africa have named a formidable 16-man squad, welcomed by the return of key senior figures. Regular captain Temba Bavuma is back to lead the side, joined by star batters Quinton de Kock and David Miller, who return to the 50-over set-up despite not holding central contracts. Pacer Gerald Coetzee makes his long-awaited ODI return after the 2023 World Cup to reinforce the bowling attack in the absence of Kagiso Rabada, who misses the ODIs due to a hamstring injury.
The Proteas set-up is further strengthened by Aiden Markram, who is unavailable for the first ODI, but will be available for the last two ODIs. Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj give this team the strength and teeth it needs. But the home side also incurred some late changes to the initial squad due to a couple of injuries. Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the ODI series, and Nqobani Mokoena replaced him. Another seam bowler, Ottneil Baartman, is set to miss the ODI series after a hamstring injury, with Duan Jansen replacing him.
The battle between Australia’s lethal bowling attack and South Africa’s aggressive top-order will be decisive. We are expecting a high-octane clash at Durban to kickstart and ignite the opening fixture of this tour. Let’s wait and watch to see which team comes out on top at the end of the day.
Head-To-Head
South Africa and Australia have met in a total of 113 matches. South Africa have won 51 of them, while Australia have won 57 of them. 3 matches ended in a tie, while 2 matches ended in a No Result. In the last 10 matches, it’s 6-4 in South Africa’s favour, with the Proteas winning the 3-match ODI series in Australia in August 2025 by 2-1. The last meeting was won by the Aussies on 24th August by 276 runs.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch at Kingsmead, Durban, historically favours a balanced contest between the bat and the ball, with recent trends showing decent true bounce and helpful carry for the fast bowlers early on. As the match progresses, the pitch tends to slow down slightly, allowing spinners to extract some grip and turn from the surface. Teams winning the toss often prefer chasing or bowling first to make use of any initial moisture and seam movement under lights or overcast conditions.
The weather in Durban is expected to be mild spring weather with mixed overhead cloud cover and typical coastal breezes. There is a low to moderate chance of minor interruptions, though temperatures are expected to hover comfortably around the mid-20s degrees Celsius during the match hours. Here’s hoping for an uninterrupted game.
Predicted/Probable Playing XIs of both teams
Here, we will try to predict the predicted or probable playing XIs of both teams.
South Africa XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj.
Australia XI: Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Renshaw, Alex Carey, Oliver Peake, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Ellis/Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Quinton de Kock: Quinton de Kock, the keeper-batter, has been in red-hot form in recent times as he was the leading run-scorer in CPL 2026. He would like to translate that form into ODI cricket, being an experienced campaigner against Australia. With Aiden Markram missing this contest, the onus will be on Quinton at the top of the order to give the Proteas a flying start and a solid one at that. We know his appetite for scoring big hundreds.
Marco Jansen: In the absence of Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, the onus is now on Marco Jansen to lead the pace attack. A handy hitter down the order, Jansen can add vital runs to the side, but his main role will be with the ball in hand. Jansen will take the new ball and will be expected to strike against Australia’s top order to rattle them and put them under pressure. If he can do that, South Africa will go a long way in winning the match.
Mitchell Marsh: Mitchell Marsh will also be one of the key players to watch out for from Australia. Batting at the top of the order, expect Marsh to give the team a flying start and also for himself to convert starts into significant scores. Against Zimbabwe, Marsh got starts, but wasn’t able to carry on longer and convert it. With the captaincy most likely off his shoulders for the first game at least, expect Marsh to be dangerous at the top of the order.
Mitchell Starc: After a brief break, Mitchell Starc will be ready and raring to go in South Africa. Starc has been in great form in the longest format of the game, and he would like to bring that form into the ODIs as well and unleash fury on South Africa. If Starc gets his lines and lengths right, he can unleash fury and put the Proteas batters under serious pressure. He will be expected to take the new ball and strike in the powerplay.
Key Stats and Records to watch out for ahead of this clash.Â
- In 36 matches played in Durban between the two sides, Australia edges South Africa 18-17 with one No Result.
- South Africa has won the last 5 ODI Series against Australia.
- South Africa has won 7 out of their last 8 ODIs at Durban.
- Chasing sides hold a 66.7% win percentage in decided ODIs at Kingsmead, Durban.
- Only 38% of ODIs at Kingsmead, Durban feature teams batting first winning, and that goes up to 49% overall match win rate batting first historically.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match.Â
This series will be too close to call in our view. Whom to call favourite and whom to call underdog is difficult to decipher. Two evenly matched teams are against each other. Both are coming off 3-0 series wins on the African continent. South Africa have been hit with injuries to Rabada, Ngidi & Baartman. But they have able replacements waiting to make a mark. With the Test series coming up, the Aussies will rotate their pacers, and so it’s tough to predict anything in this contest.
Looking at recent history and the fact that South Africa has won the last 5 ODI series against the Aussies, we feel that because of that record we can classify them as favourites. But Australia can bring out their best and surprise them to roar to a series win. Important games ahead of the marquee event next year. It’s 3 vs 4 in the ODI rankings with Australia and South Africa locked at 103 points each. That is how close it is to call. This can go either way.
Let’s see how the series opener turns out in Durban, as well as the entire tour as well.
Also Read:Â SA vs AUS: Nqobani Mokoena Replaces Injured Lungi Ngidi