South Africa’s ODI squad will be without the services of Kagiso Rabada due to an ankle injury, as confirmed following scans. Rabada will focus on his recovery program, guided by South Africa’s medical staff. Kwena Maphaka, who impressed as the leading wicket-taker in the T20I series, has been brought into the squad to replace Rabada. With Marco Jansen also sidelined due to a thumb injury, South Africa’s pace attack will be spearheaded by Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, and Kwena Maphaka.
The initial ODI of the series is currently in progress at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns. The match follows a T20I series victory for Australia 2-1. The shift to the 50-over game brings a new dynamic, especially for Australia. Cazaly’s Stadium has seen limited ODI action, with the most recent series being in 2022. The pitch has a history of making batting difficult. The highest score at the venue is 267, with the highest successful chase reaching 233 across the five ODIs played there. The pitch tends to offer early assistance to seamers, influencing scoring patterns.