Potch spin surprise as fitness concerns mount

Both frontline World Cup spinners missed a chance to play on the most spin-friendly surface Australia will likely encounter before arriving in India as Ashton Agar joined a mounting list of fitness concerns.

With Adam Zampa rested amid a flurry of 50-over cricket leading into next month's tournament, Agar joined him on the bench for Australia's 111-run third-ODI defeat to South Africa overnight Tuesday (AEST) due to lingering soreness suffered in the first match of the series.

Having missed the preceding T20Is due to a calf injury, the left-armer will now head home for the birth of his first child and will not return until after the three-ODI series against India leading into the World Cup.

The 29-year-old will still have scope to refamiliarise himself with the subcontinent in a pair of ICC practice matches before Australia’s Cup opener against India in Chennai.

By then, however, he will have gone almost six months having played just a solitary competitive match having also recently returned from a calf injury.

Agar and Zampa could only watch on with envy as their opposite numbers Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi confounded Australia's middle order on a Potchefstroom pitch that surprised captain Mitch Marsh by how much it turned.

They are precisely the kind of conditions likely to be presented in India.

"The wicket took a little more spin than we thought at the start of the day," said Marsh, who made 29 as Australia were rolled for 227 in pursuit of 339. "That's ok, we're going to be exposed to those sorts of conditions throughout the World Cup so it was good for our batters."

On ODI debut, Tanveer Sangha could have had Aiden Markram out on his third ball in a threatening spell with a thin edge that flew between 'keeper Alex Carey and first slip David Warner, before the South African surged to 102no. But the 21-year-old leg-spinner struggled to contain the Proteas at other times, with Travis Head (2-39) instead leading the way with his off-breaks.

"Ash wasn't unavailable for selection today so that made it tough to play two spinners," said Marsh.

"Zamps has got a big workload coming up so we thought today was a good opportunity to rest him and give Tanveer an opportunity.

"I thought Travis Head bowled exceptionally well, it was really good for him to get an opportunity to bowl and we were able to pull them back through the middle.

"But Aiden Markram was outstanding today and that's what changed the game."

Less than a month out from the World Cup, Agar's unavailability is the latest in a series of injury headaches arising in South Africa with Glenn Maxwell (ankle), Cameron Green (concussion) and Spencer Johnson (hamstring) having also all suffered setbacks.

Four of their most important players are playing no part in this series; captain Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and Maxwell. It is hoped all of them will return during the pre-World Cup bilateral campaign against India.

All three of Smith (tendon damage to his wrist), Cummins (fractured wrist) and Starc (shoulder and groin injuries) are still feeling the after-effects of playing through significant injuries during a condensed and gruelling Ashes and World Test Championship campaign in the UK.

The gruesome broken leg suffered by Maxwell last year is still impacting him, with the ankle setback that forced him to leave the South Africa tour coming in the same left leg that still has metal screws in it.

That quartet have played more than 450 ODIs between them and have all managed comebacks from injury before, but the sheer number of different concerns complicates Australia’s strategic planning.

That goes for Cummins more than anyone. The fast bowler has been Test skipper for nearly two years, but has precious little experience in the 50-over job. He has captained the team just twice in ODIs and played just six of Australia's last 26 one-dayers since the beginning of 2021. 

Australia's non-World Cup players can still push their respective cases during the final two matches at Centurion and Johannesburg in the event of any of those players are not deemed worth risking for the tournament ahead of the ICC's final squad-submission deadline early next month.

Marnus Labuschagne, fresh off match-winning hands of 80no (as Green's concussion sub) and 124, came back to earth by being stumped for 15 in the third ODI while Tim David is yet to reach double figures in his first two ODIs.

On the bowling front, Nathan Ellis has taken three wickets in two matches while Michael Neser has been flown over as cover and could feature in his first one-dayers in more than five years if he gets the nod. 

That could hinge on whether Johnson, a raw left-arm seam option as a back-up for Starc, can recover in time from a hamstring complaint for the back-end of the series.

Cameron Green is following concussion return-to-play protocols and will not be back until the fifth ODI at the earliest.

"Hopefully Greeny will be able to play the last game. I'm unsure how many days he's got left with the concussion protocols but we certainly won't be taking any risks with that kind of stuff," said Marsh.

"Spencer is hopefully tracking well to play in one of those two games. He's early on in his international career and we've got to look after him. Hamstrings are something you can't really rush back but hopefully he's fit for one of the two last games so we can get a look at him."

2023 Qantas ODIs v South Africa

September 7: Australia won by three wickets

September 9: Australia won by 123 runs

September 12: South Africa won by 111 runs

September 15: Fourth ODI, Centurion (D/N), 9pm AEST

September 17: Fifth ODI, Johannesburg, 6pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Tanveer Sangha, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Brjor Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen