Australia will face South Africa in the third World Test Championship contest after the two nations leveled the three-match series at 1-1. The Australian team lost the second Test by an innings and 31 runs following a collapse where they were all out for 99 in their first innings.
In their second innings, the Australians were dismissed for 295, while Travis Head contributed 121 runs to the total. Scott Boland took a five-wicket haul in the first innings and added 40 runs off 166 balls.
Nic Maddinson struggled for consistency, recording scores of 0, 48, 0, and 8 across the first two matches. Marnus Labuschagne has not scored a Test century in three years.
Cameron Green and Josh Inglis have returned to full fitness ahead of the upcoming fixture. Pat Cummins will wait until the team arrives in Cape Town before making final selection decisions.
Cummins said, "Clearly need to be a lot better than that if we want to compete." The captain noted that a loss can sometimes kick a player into gear, whereas a win might allow them to paper over cracks.
Regarding Labuschagne, Cummins said, "He’s actually doing the hard bit; he’s getting to 30." Cummins added, "I think he’s got to find a way to turn those into bigger scores — 30s aren’t going to win you many matches."
The skipper questioned whether to give a player one more game or if it is the right time to make a move. He further asked if it feels like someone is about to turn the corner or if it is time for a change-up.
