Australia, South Africa clash in decider: 3rd T20I preview
What's the story
Australia and South Africa will clash in the third and final T20I of their series at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns on Saturday (August 16). The series is currently tied at 1-1, making this match a decisive one. Australia won the first T20I by 17 runs thanks to Tim David's explosive half-century. South Africa made a strong comeback in the second game, winning by a whopping 53 runs on the back of Dewald Brevis's century. Here is the match preview.
Match details
Venue, pitch report, and streaming details
The final T20I will be played at Cazaly's Stadium, Cairns on Friday, August 16. The match starts at 2:45pm IST and will be live-streamed on JioHotstar and FanCode (app & website). This stadium has hosted domestic T20 matches but never a men's T20I. The pitch is expected to favor seamers with tropical humidity aiding swing and bounce. Batting could get easier as the pitch wears out, making spinners crucial during the middle overs.
Team stats
A look at the head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, South Africa have nine wins and 18 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. Before this series, SA last played an away T20I against Australia in 2018. Overall, the Aussies own six wins and three two defeats against SA in home T20Is.
Player focus
Key players for both sides
Tim David is the top run-getter of the series with 133 runs at an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 175. For South Africa, Dewald Brevis's explosive century in the second T20I was a highlight. Ben Dwarshuis has also been impressive with his bowling performances, having claimed five wickets in the series at a sensational economy of 6.25. Kwena Maphaka claimed four wickets in the opener and backed it up with a three-fer.
Team composition
Here are the probable playing XIs
Australia (Probable XI): Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Cameron Green, Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Alex Carey (wk), Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood. South Africa (Probable XI): Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Nqabayomzi Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi.
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