Proteas have Aussies on the ropes

The Proteas have already secured the series, but a whitewash in Potchefstroom would send another warning to Australia.

South Africa have already won the series against Australia. Now they have the opportunity to make it three from three.

The Proteas head to Potchefstroom for Wednesday’s final ODI with an unassailable 2-0 lead after victories in Durban and Johannesburg.

A 67-run win at Kingsmead was followed by a 32-run triumph on Pink Day at the Wanderers, where centuries from Temba Bavuma and David Miller helped South Africa post 365-9.

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The manner of those victories will be particularly encouraging for Bavuma.

At Kingsmead, Matthew Breetzke and Marco Jansen rescued the innings before Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin took control with the ball.

At the Wanderers, Bavuma and Miller provided the runs, while the spinners once again proved decisive after Australia’s openers had threatened to take the game away.

Two different surfaces, two different batting performances and the same result.
Australia, meanwhile, have encountered a familiar problem in both matches.

Their openers have attacked South Africa’s fast bowlers with considerable success, only for the middle order to struggle against spin.

The tourists scored just 37 runs between overs 30 and 40 in Durban and 35 during the same period in Johannesburg.

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Mitchell Marsh has acknowledged that Australia must improve in the middle overs if they are to avoid a whitewash.

Wednesday offers South Africa the opportunity to reinforce that advantage, although Bavuma will also have decisions to make about his own team.

With the series secured, the Proteas could give opportunities to players who have spent much of the series watching from the sidelines.

However, the prospect of completing a whitewash against Australia is an incentive to maintain their momentum.

With the 2027 ODI World Cup being staged in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, another victory would provide a further boost to the Proteas’ preparations.

The series trophy is already theirs. Potchefstroom offers the opportunity to finish the job.

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Photo: Gerhard Duraan/Gallo Images

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