Cricket Australia have revealed their starting lineup for the first One-day International (ODI) against South Africa at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. The team, led by Mitchell Marsh will be looking to build on their impressive 3-0 victory in the T20 series against the Proteas and maintain their winning streak in the five-match ODI series starting on Thursday.
Australia will be missing key players like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, and Steve Smith in the upcoming series against South Africa due to their injuries which gives an opportunity for the Australian team to test their fringe players ahead of the crucial ODI World Cup scheduled to take place in India.
The Australian team management has gone with the experience of Ashton Agar instead of the impressive Tanveer Sangha. Alex Carey will handle wicketkeeping duties while Josh Inglis will play as a pure batter in the team in Glenn Maxwell’s absence.
JUST IN: Australia have named their XI for tomorrow's first ODI v South Africa.
AUS XI: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh (c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa #SAvAUS
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 6, 2023
Josh Hazlewood will play his first match on the tour and will be expected to perform well with the ball, especially in the absence of experienced bowlers; Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
Besides, after bagging the T20I series 3-0, Australia will now look to extend its dominance in the ODI series. They will be boosted by the return of players like David Warner and Adam Zampa to the squad.
It has been confirmed that David Warner will be the primary opener for the Australian cricket team in the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. His performance as an opener will play a vital role in providing a great start to the Australian side.
Adam Zampa’s leg-spin is currently one of the best in limited-overs cricket. Zampa has consistently stemmed the run flow and provided crucial breakthroughs for the Aussies in white-ball cricket. The form of both Warner and Zampa will be critical for the team’s success in the upcoming South Africa series.
The Baggy Greens will begin their preparation for a major event with a series against South Africa, followed by a three-match series against India. The team has been on a roll lately, having won the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai and defeating the Indian team in the recently concluded World Test Championship final held at Kennington Oval.
South Africa have named a full-strength squad for the ODI series, having rested key players during the T20 series to keep them fresh for the upcoming event in India.
Australia’s playing eleven for the first ODI:
David Warner, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh (c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa