Cricket-Australia still undecided on starting XI for second test v S Africa

FILE PHOTO: Cricket - 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final - Australia Press Conference - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - June 10, 2025 Australia's Pat Cummins during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File photo

Oct 17 (Reuters) - Australia are assessing ⁠all selection options ahead of the second test against South Africa ⁠inGqeberha on Sunday as they look to claim the three-match ‌test series following a thumping 214-run win in the opening game.

All-rounder Cameron Green will miss out again with an abdominal strain but wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis could win his race to recover ​from a finger injury.

Whether he would start if ⁠fit remains to be seen, ⁠as Australia also ponder an all seam bowling attack that would leave out ⁠experienced ‌spinner Nathan Lyon.

With bad weather expected on the first two days there is a chance that the game could be shortened, or ⁠that conditions would be heavily weighted in favour of ​the seamers.

"We always look ‌at all options," captain Pat Cummins told reporters on Saturday. "We love ⁠playing with Nath. ​We saw last week, (he took) a couple of key wickets in the first innings. And even the control he gives. It makes the rest of us fast ⁠bowlers be able to function around him."

He suggested ​that Matt Renshaw, who scored 190 and 82 in the first test in Durban, would remain as a middle order batter, rather than an option to open ⁠the innings as he has done before.

"After whatRenners did last week, I presume he'll stay at number five," Cummins said.

"What he deserved even more credit for is that we'd asked him to do a different role and he ​just said straight away 'yep, no worries, whatever the ⁠team needs'.

"There were so many positives in addition to the runs he scored ​last week. He was a delight, and really ‌helped me and Lyon get through those ​partnerships (withRenshaw)."

South Africa lead the head-to-head inGqeberha 4-3, with Australia’s last victory there coming in 1997.

(Reporting by Nick Said; editing by Clare Fallon)

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资料照片：板球 - 2025年国际板球理事会世界测试锦标赛决赛 - 澳大利亚新闻发布会 - 英国伦敦，洛德板球场 - 2025年6月10日 澳大利亚球员帕特·康明斯在新闻发布会上 图片来源：路透社/安德鲁·博耶斯/资料照片

10 月 17 日（路透社）——澳大利亚正在评估所有选拔方案，以备战周日在格贝哈举行的对阵南非的第二场测试赛。此前，澳大利亚在首场比赛中以 214 分的巨大优势获胜，力图赢得三场测试赛系列赛。

全能选手卡梅伦·格林将再次因腹部拉伤缺席，但击球手兼守门员乔什·英格利斯有望率先从手指伤势中恢复。

如果他身体健康，是否会首发还有待观察，因为澳大利亚也在考虑采用全缝线投球阵容，这将使经验丰富的旋转投手内森·里昂无缘首发。

由于预计前两天天气恶劣，比赛有可能缩短，或者比赛条件可能严重有利于快速投球手。

“我们总是会考虑所有方案，”队长帕特·康明斯周六告诉记者。“我们很喜欢和纳特一起打球。上周我们看到，他在第一局就拿下了几个关键的出局。而且他还能掌控比赛节奏，这让我们其他快速投球手能够围绕他更好地发挥。”

他建议，在德班第一场测试赛中分别拿下 190 分和 82 分的马特·伦肖将继续担任中序击球手，而不是像以前那样担任开局击球手。

“鉴于雷纳斯上周的表现，我估计他会继续保持在第五名的位置，”卡明斯说。

“他更值得称赞的是，我们请他担任不同的角色，他立刻就说‘好的，没问题，团队需要什么我都愿意’。

“除了上周的得分之外，他还有很多积极的方面。他表现得非常出色，真的帮助我和里昂顺利完成了（与伦肖的）搭档配合。”

南非在与澳大利亚的交锋中以 4-3 领先，澳大利亚上次在那里获胜是在 1997 年。

（尼克·赛义德报道；克莱尔·法伦编辑）

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