The Australian international summer concludes on Wednesday when the final Test match between Australia and South Africa begins at the Sydney Cricket Ground as the Proteas conclude their tour of the country.
South Africa know that they have already let the series get away from them but there are World Test Championship points up for grabs so they have something to play for. Australia will be eyeing up a clean sweep which will look favourably on them.
Australia
I think most people expected Australia to win this series but I don’t think as many people would have expected it to have been as comfortable as it has been for them. They have dominated both matches pretty much from start to finish and they will be out to do the same in this third game as well. 2023 is a big year for Australia with trips to India and England to come so getting off to a winning start will have them in good order.
The Australia batting has done what it has needed to do and put scores up in the first innings and in neither match have they needed to worry about any dangerous second innings. The reason for that is because the Australian bowlers have had the South African batters on toast and if that continues here then it is hard to see the home side not completing a clean sweep, particularly when you consider that conditions here probably suit Australia quite nicely.
South Africa
There were concerns during the tour to England last year that the South Africa batting could let them down in this series and those concerns have come to fruition. If we are being brutally honest about it their batting hasn’t shown up on this tour and there is one last chance for it to prove itself before they depart the scene. You can accept a batting unit struggling technically in different conditions but half of the problem has been a lack of heart and fight and determination to dig in.
To be fair the South Africa bowlers have been bowling some really good spells but because they have had nothing to support them in terms of runs they have always been fighting against a strong tide on a raft. If there is a criticism of them then it would be that they have strived a little too hard for wickets when Australia have overtaken them but that again is a legacy of the team not scoring enough runs in the first place.
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Team News
Australia will be forced into changes for this match with Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc ruled out with injuries picked up in Melbourne. Ashton Agar looks certain to come in for the former while Lance Morris could be the replacement for the latter. Josh Hazlewood is set to return in place of Scott Boland.
South Africa will also be forced into a change with Theunis de Bruyn having gone home to be at the birth of his child. Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen are the options to replace him. Simon Harmer could come into play if the wicket looks like taking turn.
Betting
I’m not usually one for looking at the boundary line for a Test match but I think we’ve seen enough of the pitches at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the Big Bash to suggest that this one won’t be completely flat and will offer something for the bowlers. That is even more likely to be the case with the opening day likely to be severely rain affected if the weather forecast is correct. Even if it isn’t there has already been a fair bit of cricket at this ground this year so I’m not expecting a high scoring match.
The line for this match is up at 114.5 which looks high when you consider that so far we have had 59 in the opening game and 102 in the second one. I suspect some of the line is down to the fact Australia are without two bowlers but there is such depth in their bowling resources that I’m not sure it is going to matter. Ultimately, South Africa’s batting has been a shambles on this tour and I don’t see that changing here and I don’t see 115 boundaries being hit either.
Tips
Back Under 114.5 boundaries for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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