SA vs AUS 1st ODI Playing 11: Temba Bavuma-led South Africa will square off against Mitchell Marsh-led Australia in the 1st ODI match played at Kingsmead, Durban.
Both sides have reshaped their squads after considering fitness issues and workload management, aiming to prepare for the ODI World Cup in 2027.
The sides last met in an ODI series where Proteas Men secured a 2-1 victory. The cricketing sides have met on 113 occasions, where South Africa won on 57 occasions while Australia have won 52 occasions. A total of 3 games tied while 1 game ended with no result.
Australia won the toss and opted to bowl. Speaking at the toss, Mitchell Marsh said, “We are going to have a bowl first. Obviously it’s an early start. I don’t read wickets well.”
Toss Update 🪙
🇦🇺 Australia have won the toss and elected to bowl first.#THE PROTEAS are ready for the opening ODI against Australia as the three-match series gets underway this morning. 🏟️💪
Here’s how we line up for today’s game. 🏏
Watch the action live on SuperSport and… pic.twitter.com/zVLP6O4xzQ
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 24, 2026
“Ah, look, there were a lot of positives from that series. We had some different experiences, especially for the younger guys. We are going to face some different conditions here in South Africa. Looking forward to it,” added Marsh.
“Ah, he is a fantastic young kid. It’s great being an old player to play with these young guys. We know he is a super talent. Looking forward to seeing him in this series,” further added Marsh.
Meanwhile, review today Australia cricket team playing 11 to review their combinations and strategy for the clash.
On the other hand, Temba Bavuma said, “Yeah, I think this is my first ODI here in Durban. Look, the weather wasn’t pleasant enough. Had I won the toss, I would’ve bowled first as well. The ball is expected to swing early on. We need to adapt to the conditions quickly.”
Speaking on today’s South African cricket team playing 11, Bavuma said, “There are still a couple of spots that are up for grabs. We need to gain some momentum. We have got a couple of series against Bangladesh and England after this. We need to fix a couple of things ahead of the World Cup next year.”
SA vs AUS 1st ODI Playing 11
South Africa Playing 11: Quinton de Kock (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj
Australia Playing 11: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Jack Edwards, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood