South Africa and Australia line up for national anthems ahead of 1st ODI in Durban on 2026-09-24
South Africa and Australia walked out for the national anthems before the start of the 1st ODI in Durban on 2026-09-24, with Australia’s anthem played first followed by the home side.
Matt Renshaw said the humidity surprised him and that the wicket looked similar to the Gabba, adding he has enjoyed his first experience playing in South Africa and sampling local braais; he described batting at No. 4 as a different challenge after moving around the order and said he is taking each game as it comes. Renshaw noted the tour is an important opportunity ahead of the World Cup to understand South African white-ball conditions after having already played Test cricket in the country. He joked that his off-spin is "very filthy," suggested he could be called upon to bowl, and said he tries to model himself on former England spinner Graeme Swann while accepting his own skill set is probably different.
South African head coach Shukri Conrad said a "massive summer lies ahead," acknowledged injuries have been disruptive and emphasised the team's resilience in finding ways through setbacks rather than panicking. He said systems are being put in place to stay ahead of such issues and pointed to the nine ODIs before next year's World Cup as a chance to test positions and combinations while building capacity and depth. Conrad characterised the upcoming tweaks as minor adjustments and argued that if the core of the squad is not clear by now, it may never be; on losing experienced campaigners like Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi he described the situation as an opportunity for younger bowlers.
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said the visitors were happy to bowl first after an early start and cited positives from their recent tour of Zimbabwe. On Cooper Connolly, Marsh said: "He's a great kid, he's a super talent." He added: "It's always great to have those guys (experienced pacers) back." Marsh also said: "Every series is very important for us. Hopefully we have a good series."
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma confirmed it was his "first ODI game here" in Durban and said: "We would have bowled first as well. We need to adapt quickly. Opportunity for the guys to come in and perform. Still a long way to go (for the World Cup), there are a couple of spots up for grabs." Bavuma also commented that injuries forced the side to dig deep into its resources and presented chances for players stepping in.
On the pitch, Shaun Pollock said there was "some nice bright sunshine" after cloudier conditions earlier, with a slight breeze and a short boundary of 52 meters that he said, with the breeze blowing towards it, would make life difficult for the bowlers; he noted recent rain in Durban could leave the pitch underdone and soft underneath. Vernon Philander reported "a bit of moisture on the surface" with some grip for spinners, singled out Keshav Maharaj as a key player, and judged the decision to bowl first a good one because two new balls will be effective, saying the team winning the toss will have a slight advantage.
Australia (Playing XI) - Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (C), Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis (WK), Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Jack Edwards, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood.
South Africa (Playing XI) - Quinton de Kock (WK), Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (C), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin and Keshav Maharaj.
Conrad reiterated the series' role in World Cup preparation, noting there are "nine ODIs this year and likely a couple more before the World Cup, still to be confirmed," and that the fixtures will help the side identify combinations and build depth ahead of the tournament.
