Temba Bavuma rested for 2nd ODI against Australia: Details here
What's the story
South African cricket team captain Temba Bavuma has been rested for the second ODI against Australia. The decision comes as part of his workload management after a hamstring injury he suffered during the World Test Championship Final in June. Despite not feeling any discomfort in the first ODI, the Proteas medical team advised that he be rested for this match. Here are further details.
Captaincy shift
Aiden Markram to lead in Bavuma's absence
In Bavuma's absence, Aiden Markram has taken over the captaincy for this match. Meanwhile, top-order batter Tony de Zorzi has replaced Bavuma in the XI. The decision was announced by Cricket South Africa (CSA), which said that Bavuma will be available to lead the team in the third ODI on Sunday. This move comes after South Africa won the first ODI by a whopping 98 runs, giving them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Match preview
South Africa aim to seal series with another win
The Proteas are riding high on confidence after their dominant performance in the first ODI. They had set Australia a challenging target of 297 runs and then bundled them out for just 198 runs, thanks to Keshav Maharaj's five-wicket haul. Now, as they head into the second match with Bavuma rested and Markram leading, South Africa will look to seal the series with another victory.
Team changes
Australia seek to bounce back in 2nd ODI
Australia, on the other hand, will be looking to improve their middle-order performance which let them down in the first ODI. Despite a good start from openers Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh, big names like Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie failed to deliver against South Africa's attack. The team has made one change with Xavier Bartlett coming in for Ben Dwarshius.