Australia vs South Africa, 1st T20I: Preview and stats
What's the story
Australia are gearing up to host South Africa in the first match of a three-match T20I series on August 10 at Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin. The series is part of the preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Australia are coming off a 5-0 whitewash against West Indies, while South Africa lost in a recent T20I tri-series final involving New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Here is the preview of the opener.
Details
A look at the pitch report
The upcoming series will mark Australia's first international match in the Northern Territory in 17 years. The pitch at the Marrara Cricket Ground is likely to be a batting-friendly surface with good bounce and a quick outfield. The boundaries aren't too big, which could favor the batters. Chasing teams may have an advantage here as it could be hard to contain runs on this wicket. Meanwhile, the game will start at 2:45pm IST.
Team updates
Both teams welcome their star players back
The Australian team, led by Mitchell Marsh, will be bolstered by the return of Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood. The hosts will miss Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in this series. On the other hand, South Africa will also see their captain Aiden Markram and star pacer Kagiso Rabada joining the squad for this exciting series.
Historical context
A look at the head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, South Africa have eight wins and 17 defeats against Australia in the T20I format. The two sides last played a T20I series in 2023 in South Africa, where the Aussies recorded a 3-0 sweep. Meanwhile, SA last played an away T20I against Australia in 2018. Overall, the Aussies own five wins and just two defeats against SA in home T20Is.
Team lineup
Here are the probable playing XIs
Australia (Probable XI): Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Josh Hazlewood, and Adam Zampa. South Africa (Probable XI): Ryan Rickelton, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Aiden Markram (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy, Nandre Burger, Kagiso Rabada, and Lungi Ngidi.
Performers
Here are the in-form performers
Cameron Green finished the aforementioned WI series as the highest run-getter, having smoked 205 runs at 68.33. This included three fifties. With eight wickets apiece, Ben Dwarshuis and Adam Zampa finished the series as the joint-highest wicket-takers. Dewald Brevis finished the aforementioned tri-series with 133 runs at a stunning strike rate of 187.32. Rabada has claimed 13 wickets in his last nine T20Is at an economy of 6.29.
Poll
