The Proteas are expecting a good wicket for Tuesday’s crucial ICC Champions Trophy clash against Australia in Rawalpindi. It’s a change of venue for South Africa, as their recent matches in Pakistan have been played in Karachi and Lahore.

South Africa go into their game against Australia with confidence but remain mindful of the fact that the team from Down Under convincingly rolled over England on Saturday.

The winner of Tuesday’s contest will secure a place in the semi-finals with a game to spare, making this a high-stakes encounter.

Temba Bavuma and Pat Cummins during the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final toss in Kolkata. Photo: Cricinfo

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma expects a tough challenge from Australia, who impressed in their match against England.

“Any Australian outfit that comes together for an ICC event is always one that you don't take lightly,” Bavuma said.

“They don’t have their mainstay bowling attack, but I think they still have enough firepower to be successful. As you mentioned, their batting might have to do a bit more than they’re accustomed to.

“So, like with any team, there are opportunities. As you rightfully said, perhaps in their bowling attack, there are areas we can exploit, and if those chances present themselves on the day, we’ll definitely look to capitalise. That said, we certainly won’t be taking them lightly.”

Bavuma added that batters are likely to have the upper hand on pitches that have proven to be somewhat flat. However, the pressure created with the ball stood them in good stead during their opening game.

“As I said from the start, the wickets are favourable for batting – and batting second does seem to be the way to go,” Bavuma added.

“It does appear to be a bit easier, while defending a total is tough. If we assess the conditions tomorrow and feel that chasing is the best strategy, then so be it. If we find ourselves batting first, then we’ll have to do that extremely well. But, as we expected, batting is definitely in favour at this stage.”

Heinrich Klaasen. Photo: Cricinfo

Regarding the availability of destructive wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen, Bavuma said a final call still needed to be made, with the decision resting on the medical team.

“They still have to assess his fitness. There’s practice today, so he’ll go through his session, mainly focusing on batting. He and the medical team will then make a decision accordingly.”

The match between the Proteas and Australia in Rawalpindi is scheduled to get underway at 11:00 on Tuesday.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg