The inaugural One Day International (ODI) game for Australia’s 2023 tour of South Africa is slated to take place at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Thursday, September 7th, 2023.

South Africa’s performance during the Australia tour has left much to be desired, with a clean sweep against them in the three T20 matches. Now, they are preparing to face the Australian team in a five-match ODI series. Australia’s T20 performance was exceptional, even without some of their key players in the squad. They dominated the T20 series with a 3-0 victory and will now be aiming to continue their success in the upcoming five ODI matches.

This series holds significant importance for both teams, especially with the ODI World Cup drawing near. It provides an opportunity for both sides to refine their squads and prepare for the upcoming tournament.

South Africa’s performance in the T20 series was far from satisfactory, leading them to face Australia in a five-match ODI series. However, there’s some encouraging news for the home team as key players like Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Heinrich Klaasen, Kagiso Rabada, and David Miller have rejoined the squad for this ODI series. Their presence bolsters the bowling unit, which struggled in the T20 series. The addition of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje is expected to provide the much-needed strength and depth to the bowling attack, and we anticipate strong performances from them in this series.

Temba Bavuma has returned to lead South Africa’s batting lineup in the ODI squad. With 25 ODI matches under his belt and a tally of 1150 runs, Bavuma boasts a solid track record, especially in home conditions. His experience and ability are likely to make a positive impact on the team’s performance in this series. The squad also includes Dewald Brevis, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Rassie van der Dussen as other accomplished batsmen.

In the wicket-keeping department, South Africa has the services of Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Sutbbs, and Quinton de Kock. This well-balanced ODI squad raises expectations that South Africa’s performance will significantly improve in this ODI series compared to the T20 series.

Australia’s performance in the T20 series, led by Captain Mitchell Marsh, was truly outstanding. Marsh continues to steer the ship in the ODI series as well. He emerged as the standout batsman for Australia, amassing a total of 186 runs in three T20 matches. Expectations are high for his performance in this ODI series. It’s worth noting that Australia’s regular captain, Pat Cummins, recently recovered from an injury but is not part of the squad for the World Cup. Additionally, three other prominent Australian players, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, and Steven Smith, are also absent from the squad.

For this series, David Warner has returned to the squad, along with Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, and Chris Green. Warner will take charge of the batting order, supported by Tim David and Travis Head. Australia’s batting lineup also benefits from the presence of accomplished all-rounders in white-ball cricket like Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, and Marnus Labuschagne. Josh Inglish and Alex Carey add depth to the squad as well.

In the bowling department, Nathan Ellis will spearhead Australia’s attack, alongside Josh Hazlewood, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson, and the returning Pat Cummins. However, it’s anticipated that Cummins may not get an opportunity to play in this series.

South Africa’s ODI record comprises a total of 654 matches. Out of these, they emerged victorious in 399 encounters, while opposing teams clinched 288 wins. There were 21 matches involving South Africa that concluded with no result, and they experienced six tied matches.

Australia’s ODI history spans 979 matches to date. Of these, they triumphed in 594 contests, while opposing teams secured victory in 342 matches. There were 34 matches involving Australia that remained undecided, and nine of their matches concluded with no result.

In the 103 ODI encounters between South Africa and Australia, South Africa emerged victorious in 51 matches, while Australia secured 48 wins. Additionally, three of their matchups ended in a tie, and one match concluded without a result.

Our match prediction strongly favors Australia as the team will likely secure victory in this match. Several factors contribute to Australia’s status as the favorite, including:

• Australia’s recent success in winning the T20 series, boosts their confidence heading into this match.
• The return of key players to the Australian squad enhances their overall team strength and performance potential.
• A well-performing bowling unit from the T20 series, showcasing their ability to make a significant impact.
• South Africa’s resurgence with the return of key players specifically for this ODI series, makes them a more formidable opponent.
• Both Australia and South Africa are closely matched in terms of overall team strength, setting the stage for a competitive and exciting contest.

Australia holds a significant advantage over South Africa in terms of their strong batting order and bowling unit, which has increased Australia’s likelihood of winning today’s match. The winning probabilities for both teams are as follows:

Australia: 60% chance of winning this match
South Africa: 40% chance of winning this match

The outcome of the coin toss is set to have a pivotal impact on the decisions made in every match of this series. Based on toss predictions, the team winning the toss is likely to opt for batting first.

The 1st ODI encounter between South Africa and Australia is set to take place at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein. The pitch at this venue is highly favorable for batting, with short boundaries that could also favor the spinners. Throughout the match, the pitch is expected to remain conducive to batting. A target of 290 runs could prove challenging for the chasing team in the second innings.

The weather outlook in Bloemfontein for the match day is unfavorable for a cricket game. There is a possibility of rain, and it’s conceivable that we could encounter interruptions during the match.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (C), Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (C), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.

Captain: M Marsh
Vice-Captain: A Markram
Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Warner, R Hendricks, M Stoinis, Travis Head, Chris Green, Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada

• Date: Thursday, 7th September 2023
• Time: 11:00 AM GMT / 01:00 PM LOCAL / 04:30 PM IST

• Stadium: Mangaung Oval
• Location: Bloemfontein, South Africa
• Capacity: 20000
• Known as: Chevrolet Park, Outsurance Oval, Goodyear Park, Springbok Park
• Ends: Loch Logan End, Willows End
• Time Zone: UTC +02:00
• Home to: Free State, Orange Free State
• Floodlights: Ye

• Total matches: 33
• Matches won batting first: 14
• Matches won bowling first: 17
• Average 1st Inns scores: 244
• Average 2nd Inns scores: 202
• Highest total recorded: 399/9 (50 Ov) by ENG vs RSA
• The lowest total recorded: 78/10 (24 Ov) by ZIM vs RSA
• Highest score chased: 347/5 (49.1 Ov) by RSA vs ENG
• The lowest score defended: 203/6 (50 Ov) by AUS vs RSA

Temba Bavuma(C), Quinton de Kock(Wicket-Keeper), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Dewald Brevis, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Sisanda Magala, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Wayne Parnell, Tristan Stubbs.