South Africa enters Sunday’s second Test in Gqeberha looking to bridge a 214-run gap from the opening defeat in Durban, where Australia cruised to victory after setting a massive target of 421. Matt Renshaw dominated that opener for the visitors with scores of 190 and 82, while Josh Hazlewood dismantled the Proteas’ lineup with six wickets for 49 runs to leave the hosts scrambling to keep their series hopes alive.
This match holds high stakes for the World Test Championship standings, as Australia currently paces the field with an 81.82% points percentage. Defending champions South Africa sit third at 60%, making this contest a critical step toward securing a final appearance for the 2025-27 cycle.
To counter Australia’s momentum, the Proteas are calling on pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada to return from a hamstring injury. The team is also handing wicketkeeping duties to Ryan Rickelton, a move fielding coach Kruger van Wyk says will help the batter thrive through extra responsibility. Rickelton, who replaces Kyle Verreynne behind the stumps, has maintained his technical training despite recent batting-only roles in international cricket.
Australia is expected to retain their winning XI, though Cameron Green remains under an injury cloud. Play begins at 10:00 a.m. local time on October 18 at St George’s Park, with live coverage provided by the Eurosport TV Network and the FanCode app in India.