South Africa vs Australia Prediction: Australia were dominant in the first game of the series

South Africa will be facing off against Australia in the second game of the T20 Series being played at Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban, South Africa. Australia were dominant in the first game of the series. Who will win this game?

South Africa form

In the event of winning the toss once again, South Africa might opt to bat first, taking into account Australia's impressive performance in the initial T20I match. While it's true that several key players such as Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Keshav Maharaj are absent from these games, the team appeared to lack determination and effort.

None of the bowlers managed to keep their economy rate below 40, with Ngidi being the most expensive, conceding 49 runs at a staggering economy rate of 12.25. Fast bowler Williams provided a glimmer of hope with figures of 3/44, but overall, the bowling attack appeared weak on their home ground.

Chasing a challenging target of 227 runs, the South African batsmen faced an uphill battle from the start. Bavuma's duck was particularly surprising, given his reputation as one of the best short-format batters. Captain Markram's performance was disappointing with just 7 runs, and Brevis contributed only 5 runs. Hendricks emerged as the standout performer with a score of 56 runs, which isn't unexpected given his experience and skill as a batter.

South Africa Lineup

T Stubbs, RR Hendricks, AK Markram (C), HE van der Dussen, DA Miller, Q de Kock (wk), H Klaasen, T Shamsi, KA Maharaj, K Rabada, A Nortje

Australia form

Australia faced a bit of a setback early on as their big-hitter, Travis Head, was dismissed for just 6 runs. However, the team's captain, Marsh, stepped up magnificently, shouldering the responsibility and crafting an impressive innings of 92 runs from 49 deliveries, including 13 boundaries and 2 sixes. Tim David (64 runs) formed a crucial partnership with Marsh, but it was unexpected to see Stoinis scoring only 6 runs, considering his recent strong form.

Spinner Adam Zampa's sudden absence from the squad due to illness led to a quick replacement by debutant Sangha, who proved his worth with an excellent performance of 4/31. Despite not excelling with the bat, Stoinis showcased his utility as an all-rounder, delivering an impressive bowling performance with figures of 3/18.

Australia Predicted Lineup

Tim David, TM Head, MP Stoinis, MW Short, MR Marsh (C), Sean Abbott, JP Inglis (wk), MS Wade, Spencer Johnson, Tanveer Sangha, Nathan Ellis

Expert betting tips

The Kingsmead pitch appears to be showing a preference for spinners and medium-paced bowlers, with more turn and movement observed in the initial match than usual. Normally, this pitch witnesses T20 games with scores ranging around 150-160 runs. However, the occurrence of high scores like the 226 runs seen in the first game is not as frequent. Anticipating Marsh and David to sustain their impressive batting form, and should Zampa make a comeback, both he and Stoinis are likely to prove effective bowlers. Expect Australia to do again in this game and win the series.