South Africa take a 1-0 lead into the second ODI of their three-match series against Australia at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on September 27, having beaten the World Cup holders by 67 runs in the series opener in Durban. Australia, still rotating their frontline pace attack ahead of a Test series that both boards are treating as the tour's priority, need a response to keep the 50-over contest alive.
Batting first at Kingsmead, South Africa were carried by Matthew Breetzke's second ODI century — 112 — with Marco Jansen adding a rapid 75 further down the order. In reply, Keshav Maharaj's four-wicket haul did the early damage as Australia fell 67 runs short, a result that put an early dent in the tourists' campaign.
Captain Pat Cummins arrived in South Africa less than 72 hours before the series opener and sat that match out; multiple reports out of the camp indicate he is expected to remain rested for the Wanderers ODI too, with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood similarly being managed across the three games rather than bowled through all of them. Mitchell Marsh continues to lead the side in the 50-over matches as a result, with the trio's game time being weighed against the Test series that follows.
The Proteas go into the game without three first-choice quicks — Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Ottneil Baartman are all sidelined with hamstring issues, while Nandré Burger is managing a back complaint — leaving the pace bowling load to fall further on Jansen and the death-overs work of the spinners.
The Wanderers is a notably different proposition to Kingsmead: a batting-friendly surface with a quick outfield, and its altitude helps the ball carry further, historically rewarding clean power-hitters on both sides. That venue shift, plus Australia's under-strength attack, makes for a fixture where South Africa are favoured to move 2-0 up but Australia's top order has every incentive to cut loose.
With three of Australia's premier seamers on rotation, South Africa's own batting depth — Breetzke, Jansen and the middle order — carries the safer scoring floor on a ground that rewards boundary-hitting. Maharaj remains the standout wicket-taking option for South Africa given his form in the opener, while Marsh's captaincy workload makes him a differential pick in the Australian XI.
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Scores, squad and injury details are verified against same-day match reporting, current as of September 26, 2026.
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