Australia and South Africa are set to compete in the third ODI at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on Sunday at 10 am IST. With South Africa already leading the series, the Australian team, led by Mitchell Marsh, aims to avoid a clean sweep. Meanwhile, the visitors are eager to solidify their dominance with another strong performance.
The Australian strategy of resting key players like Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc hasn’t yielded the desired results, as their young bowling attack has struggled to contain the Proteas. Australia suffered a 98-run defeat in the first ODI in Cairns, followed by an 84-run loss in the second match.
South Africa will be bolstered by the return of captain Temba Bavuma, whose gritty half-century in the opening match was crucial. With both their batting and bowling units performing well, the visitors are aiming for a 3-0 series whitewash against the five-time world champions.
The pitch at Mackay has historically favored batsmen in the first innings, offering opportunities for scoring. South Africa demonstrated this by scoring 277 runs despite an early collapse, indicating that runs are attainable if batters capitalize on the conditions.
However, chasing runs hasn’t been straightforward. The pitch tends to slow down in the second half of the game, complicating scoring. Australian batsmen have found it difficult to adapt, with the ball seaming and the scoring rate decreasing significantly under pressure.
Winning the toss could be a critical factor in this match. The optimal approach for captains would be to bat first and set a target, making use of the favorable conditions. A score between 270 and 290 is expected to be challenging for the chasing team.
Fast bowlers are anticipated to find movement with the new ball and provide support throughout the innings, while spinners could become more effective as the surface deteriorates. Consequently, controlling the game in the first innings seems to be the preferred strategy.