The third ODI between Australia and South Africa is set to take place at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on Sunday at 10 am IST. With South Africa already leading the series, Australia, captained by Mitchell Marsh, will aim to avoid a series whitewash. South Africa will be looking to secure their dominance.
Australia’s decision to rest key players such as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc hasn’t worked out as planned, as their young bowling attack has struggled to contain the Proteas. Australia lost the first ODI in Cairns by 98 runs and the second by 84 runs.
South Africa will be strengthened by the return of captain Temba Bavuma, who scored a crucial half-century in the first match. The visitors are aiming for a 3-0 series whitewash against the five-time world champions.
The pitch at Mackay has historically been conducive to batting in the first innings, enabling batsmen to play freely. In a previous match, South Africa managed to score 277 runs despite some early wickets, demonstrating the potential for runs if batsmen apply themselves.
However, chasing has proven to be difficult. The pitch tends to slow down in the second innings, making scoring challenging. Australian batsmen have had trouble adapting, with the ball seaming and the scoring rate decreasing under pressure.
Winning the toss could be a critical factor. The ideal strategy for captains is to bat first and score runs, taking advantage of the favorable conditions. A score of 270-290 is likely to be a challenging target for the chasing team.
Fast bowlers are expected to find movement with the new ball, while spinners might become more effective as the surface degrades. Taking control of the game in the first innings seems to be the better option.