Two different kinds of pressure define Thursday’s cricket: a Test in Gqeberha that tilted sharply toward South Africa in a single day, and a T20I series in Christchurch that opens with the memory of March’s World Cup final still fresh. This briefing reflects information available before play in either match.
Gqeberha: a Test that turned in a day
Australia arrived at St George’s Park holding a 1–0 series lead after winning the first Test by 214 runs. South Africa have spent the second Test undoing that lead. They recovered from 110 for 6 to declare on 425 for 9, built on captain Temba Bavuma’s 179 and an 85 from Marco Jansen. Scott Boland was Australia’s best bowler with 5 for 81.
Then came Wednesday. Australia were bowled out for 99, with Jansen taking 5 for 33 and Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder two wickets each. Steve Smith’s 28 was the top score, and he needed treatment on his neck twice along the way. By Australian Associated Press’s count, it was their lowest total against any opponent since March 2023, the first follow-on enforced against them since January 2019, and only the third since 1988. The 326-run first-innings deficit was their largest since the 2015 Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
Australia’s second innings began poorly again, with Nic Maddinson caught behind for 8. Marnus Labuschagne’s 36 helped steady things before Simon Harmer removed him, and Travis Head ended the day unbeaten on 87 with Australia on 156 for 4. They still trail by 170, so they must add more than that just to make South Africa bat again, with six wickets in hand. A South African win would square the series at 1–1 ahead of the Cape Town finale from 27 October.
The scorecard rewards a familiar lesson: opportunity comes in more than one form. Jansen scored 85 with the bat and took five wickets in the same match, while Rabada’s return to the side paid off immediately. When you assess a player’s fantasy value, ask how many ways the role can produce involvement, not only how famous the name is. Test scoring and T20 scoring differ, so use this as a way of thinking, not a points forecast.
Christchurch: India open the New Zealand tour
The first of five T20Is starts at Hagley Oval at 07:00 GMT (8 pm local time, 12:30 pm in India). Christchurch also hosts the second match on 24 October, before the series moves to Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton. The tour then continues with five ODIs and two Tests. Our series preview has the full schedule and squads.
India, led by Shreyas Iyer with Tilak Varma as vice-captain, arrive after a 2–2 T20I series against West Indies. Their 16-man squad, named on 6 October, brings back Bhuvneshwar Kumar after nearly four years away and recalls Varun Chakravarthy after injury. New Zealand, captained by Mitchell Santner, have lost Mark Chapman to a hamstring injury and Zak Foulkes to a hip flexor problem. Josh Clarkson and Blair Tickner replace them, and Chapman is expected to return for the ODI leg.
Three things to watch
- The new-ball contest. Bhuvneshwar’s return gives India experience with the new ball. How the selectors combine him with Kuldeep Yadav and Varun in the same XI will show their preferred balance of seam and spin.
- New Zealand’s reshaped middle order. Without Chapman, the hosts must decide who carries the middle overs. Clarkson’s role as an all-rounder will be one of the early tells.
- The toss and the confirmed XIs. A squad of 16 is not a lineup of 11. Treat the toss as the moment to settle roles, and avoid assuming that a headline name will play.
Elsewhere today
Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in the ODI tri-series in the UAE, bowling them out for 160 and reaching 161 for 3. In Rawalpindi, Sri Lanka meet England in a day/night match at the Pakistan ODI tri-series. Check the live scores for current results.
If you are building a fantasy team today
Start with the contest rules, then wait for confirmed XIs before you finalise roles. Our team-building guide sets out the routine, the pitch guide explains how to treat conditions as context, and the form guide shows how to weigh recent returns without over-reading a small sample.
Sources and updates
Day-four facts and records: cricket.com.au timeline (AAP) and Sky Sports report. New Zealand squad changes: ICC news and Outlook India. India squad and captaincy: CricTracker.