The One-Day International cricket competition is still ongoing, as Australia and South Africa will face each other. Australia has recorded three wins and two losses in the last five matches, while South Africa is coming from a win by 98 runs in their last match against Australia. All actions will be at the prestigious Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay. How will they approach this game, as both teams have a chance to achieve a positive result? Let’s get into the previews of this game and offer predictions.
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Australia vs South Africa: Date and Time of the Match Start
- Match: Australia vs South Africa
- Date: Thursday, August 22nd, 2025
- Kick-Off Time: 07:30 am (AEST)
- Stadium: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
Interesting Facts About Teams
South Africa will rely on solid performances from Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram, and Wiaan Mulder.
Keshav Maharaj recently ascend the throne atop the ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings.
Kepler Wessels is the only player to represent both Australia and South Africa in ODIs and the first player to represent two different countries in ODIs. He also holds another record, having the most ODI runs by any player without a duck after playing more than 100 matches.
Weather Report before Match
The weather conditions around Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, are expected to be Partly Cloudy. The temperature, according to reports, is going to be 23 degrees. Also, the rain possibility is expected at 25%, and the Humidity will be at 78%. For the Pitch, it favours both batters and bowlers. It is also their first time playing together on this pitch.
Australia vs South Africa: Chances of Winning
Australia hasn't had luck on its side in recent One-Day Internationals. The Aussies last played an ODI during the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals in March 2025. They faced a crushing defeat against the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side in that match. Now they're coming back to play the format after a long time. The side will be looking to start afresh on winning terms in this series.
The visiting South African side has also had a decent record in recent ODIs. They have won two and lost two in their last five fixtures. The Temba Bavuma-led side will face the Mitchell Marsh-led Australian side. Another exciting contest is expected. This will give fans great value for their money.
Australia's chance of winning - 57%
South Africa's chance of winning - 43%
Australia Preview
Australia heads into the ODI series with a balanced squad. The team mixes established internationals with promising younger names. At the top, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, and Mitchell Marsh bring different qualities. They offer a blend of reliability and attacking flair to the batting order.
Australia's batting line-up remains formidable despite some changes. Even the bowling attack looks good with key players available. Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, and Adam Zampa are all part of the squad. However, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are being rested for this series.
Then Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey will steady the middle order. Cameron Green should provide power-hitting in the final overs. The bowling attack also looks solid. Josh Hazlewood and Ben Dwarshuis will likely share the new ball duties. Hazlewood should take early wickets. Also, Nathan Ellis will probably be the third seamer after his good form against South Africa. For spin bowling, Adam Zampa and Matthew Kuhnemann will take charge. Especially Zampa has the skills to trouble South Africa's batsmen. His variations and control make him dangerous.
Key Players: Travis Head, Matt Short, Mitchell Marsh
Australia Players List
Travis Head, Matt Short, Mitchell Marsh (C), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (WK), Mitchell Owen, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Lance Morris, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
South Africa Preview
Proteas spinner Prenelan Subrayen has been reported for a suspect bowling action after his ODI debut against Australia. He now faces an ICC assessment. South Africa will want to put their ODI game back on track. They fell short in the T20I series. Their form in 50-over cricket has been underwhelming lately. They stumbled in the Champions Trophy semi-finals. Before that, they finished without a win in the tri-nation series in Pakistan. The Proteas have done okay in recent ODIs, though. They won three and lost two in their last five matches.
South Africa is expected to hand Dewald Brevis his ODI debut. This comes after an outstanding T20I series. Temba Bavuma will lead the side. For them to turn things around, the batting order needs to deliver big scores. Players such as Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, and Ryan Rickelton all have the quality to put up tall totals.
They also have Dewald Brevis. He has shown his talent in different conditions. He is coming off a blistering 41-ball hundred in the T20Is. Brevis has the temperament for long stays at the crease. Therefore, expectations of him will be high.
Wiaan Mulder is another option to keep an eye on. He recently recorded the highest Test score by a South African with an unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe. Matthew Breetzke could add more spark at the top. He has scores of 150 and 83 from just two ODI outings so far.
Key Players: Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis
South Africa Players List
Temba Bavuma (captain), Ryan Rickelton (wicketkeeper), Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Australia vs South Africa Head-to-Head
In the ODI format, both teams have faced each other in 111 head-to-head meetings. South Africa is the stronger of the two in this format with a record 56 victories. Australia has recorded 51 wins and tied thrice. Their latest fixture, which took place yesterday and ended in a 98 runs for South Africa.
Head-to-Head Record
- Total - 111
- South Africa - 56
- Australia - 51
- Draw - 3
Who will win the match, Australia vs South Africa?
Using advanced computer power and data, Stats Insider has simulated the result of Friday's Australia vs South Africa One-Day International match 10,000 times.
Our leading predictive analytics model currently gives South Africa a 57% chance of beating Australia in the One-Day International match of the 2025 season.
Australia vs South Africa Prediction
South Africa had a strong performance against Australia in their first ODI meeting. They have always been the better team in the ODI format of the game. South Africa's cricket talent never lacks. De Kock retired; Ryan Rickelton rose. Klaassen retired; Brevis took his place. Lhuandre Pretorius also seized his opportunity. Matthew Breetzke has been exceptional. Maphaka shines too. This country is a goldmine of cricket talent. South Africa’s future looks secure with Dewald Brevis. He’s proving to be the man for them, delivering against Australia in their backyard. Clashes between Australia and South Africa rarely disappoint in terms of wickets. The same should be true in this ODI series. The visitors arrive with plenty of quality. They will test the home side across all departments. However, Australia is traditionally very strong in its backyard. Despite a few names missing, their squad has enough depth to stay ahead.
Our prediction is over 15.5 total wickets
