South Africa will make at least three changes for the second Test against Australia in Gqeberha, with captain Temba Bavuma confirming on Saturday that Kagiso Rabada has been cleared to return from a hamstring injury and that batsmen Marques Ackerman and Matthew Breetzke are set to come into the side.
Bavuma broke from his usual practice of naming an XI the day before a match, telling reporters the threat of a heavy thunderstorm on day one forced his hand. Australia lead the series 1-0 after a 214-run win in Durban, the first defeat South Africa have suffered under Bavuma's captaincy.
Rabada cleared as Proteas reshuffle batting order
Rabada missed the first Test with a hamstring problem but has been bowling in the nets all week and has been released by the Proteas medical staff, according to Fox Sports. The pace spearhead's return gives South Africa a significant lift on a St George's Park pitch that remains something of an unknown, with curator Adrian Carter shaving the grass length down further in the lead-in from 8mm two days out.
Bavuma was careful, though, to frame Rabada's return as a boost rather than a cure.
He leads the attack in everything that he does and then I think it brings an extra level of confidence to the unit, Bavuma said. Whether he's on the field, whether he's off the field, there's always a benefit. There's a lot of belief in KG and a lot of the guys feed off that.
He can obviously feed off the performances that he's had against Australia, but I think for us it's also important not to put any more expectation on him than we have on any other player.
Who are Marques Ackerman and Matthew Breetzke?
Ackerman, 30, averages a tick below 50 in first-class cricket and Bavuma backed the left-hander to stiffen a middle order that collapsed badly at Kingsmead, where the Proteas surrendered a strong first-innings position.
I think people who know Ackerman know he is a guy who likes to get in the fight. He fights fire with fire, Bavuma said. So I think from that point of view, it will be exciting to see if he gets going.
Breetzke is expected to open after a strong start to his one-day international career, which included success against Australia in the 50-over format. Bavuma said the 26-year-old would arrive with confidence and boost a batting unit that struggled for consistency in Durban, a concern The Herald and TimesLIVE both reported in the build-up as the central question hanging over the hosts.
Bavuma's own form under scrutiny after Durban defeat
The captain put himself through a visible fitness test on the eve of the game, running a series of 70-metre sprints while his teammates trained, after stretching his back and hamstrings extensively. He did not appear hindered, and he later spent a long session in the nets, at one point receiving tips from Wiaan Mulder.
Bavuma has had consecutive failures with the bat in the series and acknowledged the pressure on his own game while insisting he will not change his approach.
I still have that responsibility, right, with the bat to perform. I think for me it is important to keep doing what I have been doing, he said. My method has been rather successful over the last couple of years, so I probably want to stick to that.
I'm not going to go out and be slashing at my first ball. I'll apply myself as I normally do and just try be as good as I can be, really.
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