Australia chose to bowl vs South Africa
For the first time since 2013, Australia have left Nathan Lyon out of a red-ball Test with Scott Boland preferred as part of an all-pace attack in Gqeberha while South Africa are able to welcome back Kagiso Rabada as they aim to level the series.
South Africa have also dropped a spinner with Keshav Maharaj squeezed out of the XI although they have retained Simon Harmer as a specialist option. Meanwhile, Marques Ackerman will open on Test debut, something he has never done in his first-class career, while the recalled Matthew Breetzke slots into the middle order.
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There had been significant rain overnight and drizzle continued through the morning with the covers coming on and off. There was a long-enough gap for the toss to take place as scheduled with Pat Cummins bowling first but then the rain returned. The forecast for the first two days is not promising although it improves after that.
"I think partly conditions, and Scotty Boland has been incredible whenever he's played Test cricket, so it felt like it aligned this week and it was the right time to insert him," Cummins said of the selection call. [He brings] a lot of things. When there's anything in the wicket, he gets a lot of seam movement. He's super accurate, and even if it does flatten out he brings that control. Experience, he can bowl bulk overs, so he's the whole package."
Lyon has recently been omitted from day-night Tests in Jamaica and Brisbane last year, and was then injured for the end of the Ashes when Australia opted not to play a frontline spinner, but this is another significant moment in Australia's selection strategy. Through a combination of tactics and injury, it means Lyon has missed five of Australia's last 10 Test matches. He was particularly angry when omitted against England at the Gabba last December.
"I mean, every Test match we're trying to work out how we can fit Scotty Boland in there somehow and Nathan Lyon and even [Michael Neser]," Cummins said the day before the Test. "But of course, when you've got someone like Scotty… you leave some training sessions shaking your head how that bloke is [not] in your first XI."
Meanwhile, Australia's team sheet maintained the same top-order combination as the first Test with Travis Head to open with Nic Maddinson and Matt Renshaw at No. 5.
South Africa 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Marques Ackerman, 3 David Bedingham, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 Matthew Breetzke, 6 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Simon Harmer, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Anrich Nortje
Australia 1 Travis Head, 2 Nic Maddinson, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Matt Renshaw, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Beau Webster, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Josh Hazlewood