The Australians are looking to fight back from a comprehensive 177-run loss to the Proteas in the series opener in Perth with the team coming under heavy criticism over their capitulation.
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It isn’t unusual for South Africa’s skipper to wait until the toss to reveal an XI, as opposed to Steve Smith who generally names his side at the pre-match media conference.
Speaking on the opening Test, it was clearly South Africa’s Test out, as they more or less outplayed Australia in nearly every department of the game.
SECOND TEST Blundstone Arena, Hobart, 10.30am (AEDT) TV: Channel Nine Live blog: Join Rohan Connolly @ theage.com.au/sport for scores, commentary and updates for the next five days starting Saturday from 10am each day.
Former coach Tim Nielsen was also packed off after the 2010/11 Ashes defeat, the catalyst for an exhaustive review of the team’s management.
Joe Mennie will be hoping his Test debut is more impressive than his first ODI.
Captain Steve Smith has forecast a change in the Australian batting line-up as inclement weather threatens to disrupt the opening day of the second Test against South Africa in Hobart.
Only injuries have forced changes and Burns comes back into the squad after opener Shaun Marsh’s withdrawal with a broken finger.
Australia: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Callum Ferguson, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Joe Mennie, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.
“They’ll be hurting from the previous Test match and they’ll want to try and turn that around”, he told a news conference on Friday.
Meanwhile, South Africa, so far, have played 39 Test matches in Australia.
The second of the three-Test series will be South Africa’s first long-form match in Hobart, where the visitors start as favourites. “If it becomes a really shortened game. that’s something we will look at”.
Forecasters had predicted a 90 per cent chance of rain on day one, guaranteed solid rain on day two and a 50 per cent chance on day three, giving rise to expectations the Test had little or no chance of a result. Warner dropped the ball in front of him and set off for a quick single, but Bavuma pounced from cover and unleashed a powerful throw while horizontal and still in mid-air.
It will once again be a test of character for Steve Smith and his team, who are on the brink of losing their second consecutive Test series following a 3-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Asked about going in with just four bowlers, as rain delays should mean they will get plenty of rest, Smith said: “Not sure, that’s up to the selectors and they’ll decide tomorrow”.
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“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to have ex-players of the calibre of Brad and Ryan on board for this tour and continue their involvement in Australian cricket”, Lehmann said. “That’s the nature of the beast if you don’t have success”.
