Live: Australia to unleash all-out pace attack in second Test against RSA

Looking at the pitch, which makes a green mamba look placid, suggests that this is a chance to wrap up the series.

I reckon get the win here, then provide the option to rest players in Cape Town if required.

I think we'll see a lot of rotation in India, where the quicks will get a lot less support from the pitches.

We're in the Eastern Cape today, in the city of Gqeberha.

Prior to 2021, Gqeberha was known by its colonial name, Port Elizabeth, or PE.

Now though, it is known by its Xhosa name.

This is, in fact, the first time Australia will play in the city under its new name.

All seven Tests Australia has played in the city have been at St George's Park, where today's match is set to take place.

South Africa has won four of the seven matches they've played against Australia here, including the last two.

Overall, the Proteas have won five of their last seven Tests at the ground, winning 15 of the 33 they've played here since 1889.

Hi stumcin.

So, the name was changed from Port Elizabeth on the advice of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

It was actually part of a sweeping raft of changes to locations across the Republic.

The main reason was to remove colonial and apartheid-era legacies and recognise the indigenous heritage of the area: Gqeberha is the Xhosa name for the Baakens River that flows through the city.

Port Elizabeth was founded in 1820 by British settlers and named in memory of the late wife of the Cape Colony's then governor.

It wasn't a universally popular decision, the BBC reported that 32,000 people signed a petition to keep Port Elizabeth.

The pronunciation is a tough one for non-Xhosa speakers though.

Xhosa uses a click sound in its lexicon, which is the sound that the "Gqe" represents.

So the pronunciation is <click> bear-gha, with the g sound at the end a guttural g.

I think.

Key Event

Temba Bavuma has been looking a bit downcast behind Pat Cummins while the Aussie skipper was speaking.

He then says the South Africans were "a bit undecided" about what they were going to do. Eh?

"It's probably going to be tough here in the morning," he says, getting back on track.

"Overhead conditions, looks quite moist, the wicket, so we'll have to fight it out in the first session and set it up for the guys to come in later."

He also outlines the three changes for the hosts.

Marques Ackerman, Matthew Breetze and Kagiso Rabada come in.

Ackerman comes in as an opener with Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke is going to slot in at five.

Verrynne, Maharaj and Stubbs are the players who miss out.

Simon Harmer is the spinner who gets the nod ahead of Keshav Maharaj and I don't think that's a bad call. Call me biased given Harmer's valuable service at the County Ground in Chelmsford over the last few years, but I love the way he bowls and he's better at left handers than Maharaj is.

That being said, on a pitch this green, I'd be stunned if he gets many overs.

Key Event

And it's as we suspected.

Nathan Lyon is out.

Scott Boland is in.

"Partly conditions," Cummins says of the change.

"Scotty Boland has been incredible whenever he's played Test cricket.

"Feels like it's aligned this week."

He says that Boland is the "whole package" and is going to add a lot to the team.

Key Event

Pat Cummins calls heads, the coin goes up, lands as heads and before the microphone can be raised he says he'll have a bowl.

He genuinely couldn't have said that faster.

Colour me shocked.

'Obviously a little bit of cloud about, a bit of weather, and the pitch looks a good one," Cummins says.

We'll be hearing from the skippers in the next couple of minutes...

Australia has chopped and changed the batting order a few times of late, with a rotating cast of middle order batters tried and discarded up top.

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has led the calls for the team's selectors to stop changing it up and to let the players settle in fixed roles, despite some questionable returns in Durban.

"They've got to pick and stick now," Waugh said.

"Don't mess around with that now. [Renshaw] has been successful, and he's comfortable, so I'd keep him there, for sure."

Makeshift opener Travis Head scored just 9 and 11 at Kingsmead, with the returning Nic Maddinson managing a 50-minute, 33-ball duck before a far improved 48 in the second innings.

Meanwhile, Matt Renshaw, who has opened for Australia and Queensland in the past, totalled match-winning scores of 190 and 82 at number five.

"It's got to be pretty compelling to move him [Renshaw] from there," Pat Cummins said after the first Test.

"We're always working out the six batters, or seven plus [Alex Carey] and how is that going to function as a whole?

"I still think he [Renshaw] can be a great opener … we're pretty certain that we like Marn [Labuschagne] at number 3, Smithy at number 4, and then, the six and seven felt pretty locked up.

"I think bringing in Maddo, we really like the idea of bringing that flexibility, that unlocks a lot [such as] Trav back to number 5, Renners down to number 5, even Maddo himself at five.

"We haven't had that option [in] the last few years where we feel like we've got plenty of options at the top.

"We're very big on that flexibility. I think having the structure that we do now with a few guys that can open, that's really unlocked that."

Matthew Wade said the players were happy to be flexible.

"If the conditions tell us it's time to change the batting order, we'll make that change," he said.

"We've seen over the last little bit that we've been able to adapt really quickly and more importantly the players take it on so easily - and credit to them."

- with Reuters

If you needed further suggestions that Scott Boland is in the line up to play, he is warming up at the moment.

I'd suggest that means Cameron Green is not going to be selected - and I'd guess that Nathan Lyon might miss out too.

Yesterday Pat Cummins said that all the bowlers were available and he would name the side at the toss, in about 8 minutes time.

The covers have been on and off this morning, our spies in South Africa tell us - which is no mean feat given how windy it gets in the city formerly known as Port Elizabeth.

But as it happens, you might need directions to where the pitch is when the covers aren't on it, as this photo from Dan Cherny shows.

That looks like a dog of a pitch, damp and with plenty of grass on it.

Spicy.

Our spies have also suggested that Scott Boland is out there warming up for Australia, no surprise given the overcast conditions and state of that pitch.

Former Test wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has warned Australia to expect a far more dangerous South African attack in this Test, with pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada set to return.

Rabada missed Australia’s 214-run victory in Durban with a hamstring injury.

"The thing that stands out with him is his competitiveness," Wade told reporters earlier in the week.

"He takes it to the opposition, he'll be in our face, he'll keep coming for the whole Test match, so we really know that."

Wade worked with Rabada in the Indian Premier League and said the bowler's ability to sustain pressure would give the hosts greater versatility after they struggled to contain Australia in the series-opener.

"They went with two spinners last time but ... him and [Anrich] Nortje can basically take one quick spot and [do] short spells and really attack as hard if they want to."

- with Reuters

After a pretty comprehensive 214-run defeat last time out, South Africa made a couple of tweaks to their squad, calling up Matthew Breetzke and dropping Tristan Stubbs.

That has meant a batting order reshuffle for today's second Test.

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad said on Wednesday that there was no need for knee-jerk reactions to the defeat and that his team just "need to get bloody better" this week.

However, on Thursday he announced that Ryan Rickelton will be the wicketkeeper, which is likely to mean Kyle Verreynne, who has not scored a Test 50 in his last 13 innings, will be dropped from the team, despite still being in the squad.

Breetzke, who has played two previous Tests for South Africa, in Bangladesh in late 2024 and Zimbabwe last year and has a first-class average of 37, last played a first-class match in February.

He did score a century in the first One Day International against the Aussies last month though.

"Matt has been part of the squad before and the fact that his ODI form is as hot as it is gave him an inside lane and also, more importantly, the attitude and the character Matt brings, and has, will go a long way," Conrad said.

"With Ricks [Rickelton] taking the gloves, there are obviously decisions to be made over whether he does move down the order or whether he can continue to open the batting and take the gloves, which he has done before.

"We'll have a look at what the conditions are like, but there are a few things to consider before play starts."

That puts Breetzke in contention to open with Aiden Markram.

- with Reuters

Hello everybody and welcome to the ABC Sport coverage of the Australian tour of South Africa!

It's time for the second Test of the series and, off the back of an emphatic victory in Durban last week, Australia are looking to wrap up the series with a victory here in Gqeberha.

My name is Simon Smale, Dean Bilton will join we shortly, and Henry Hanson will be here and there throughout the next few of days, by which time the series may well have been decided before we even get to Cape Town later this month.

As ever, it is a genuine pleasure to be here with you for what should be a fascinating Test match between the two top ranked teams in the world.