South Africa vs Australia 2026: Schedule, Squads & Timings
South Africa lead Australia 2-0 after a Miller masterclass at the Wanderers and the Tests start on 9 October. Get the 3rd ODI timing, the full Test schedule in PKT, GMT and local time, both Test squads and the key battles.
South Africa leads the ODI series against Australia 2–0 and the Australians are already bracing for a very different kind of contest. Australia’s tour of South Africa for the 2026–27 season runs from September 24 to October 31. It will feature three ODI matches followed by three Test matches. Australia last played a Test series in South Africa in 2018, making this the first such series in eight years. That previous series ended in a 3–1 victory for South Africa (known as the "Proteas") and is best remembered for the Newlands scandal involving illegal ball tampering. The Test portion of the tour is also significant for the ICC World Test Championship. According to a recent report, Australia has entered the competition as the top-ranked team. South Africa has won the tournament as the reigning champion, defeating Australia in the tournament final at Lord's in 2025.
Where the ODI Series Stands
South Africa won the first ODI and the second match, which was played in Johannesburg, proved decisive for the series. Second ODI, September 27 at the Wanderers Stadium, South Africa scored 365 for 9 (365/9) and won by 32 runs, with Australia finishing on 333. David Miller scored 142 runs off 93 balls and was named Player of the Match; Cricinfo’s coverage dubbed his performance the deciding factor in the game. In addition to scoring a century (100 runs or more in a single innings), Temba Bavuma scored 103 runs off 116 balls. Jack Edwards, in his second ODI match, bowled 5 wickets for 67 runs (5/67) for Australia. Josh Hazlewood took 3/70. Australia made a strong start in their attempt to chase down South Africa's total, with Mitchell Marsh hitting five "sixes" (shots worth six runs). However, South Africa's spin bowlers then took control; Keshav Maharaj, Bjorn Fortuin and Aiden Markram combined to take 5 wickets for 179 runs across 30 overs. The Australian batsmen struggled significantly against the spin bowlers throughout the match. This was South Africa's sixth consecutive victory in encounters with Australia. Australia also contended with injuries: Nathan Ellis bowled only four overs due to a side strain. Josh Inglis is ruled out of the ODI series with a broken finger and it is uncertain whether he will be able to participate in the Test matches.
3rd ODI: Today at Potchefstroom
The final ODI is today at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom and the series is already decided.
Detail Info Match 3rd ODI, South Africa vs Australia Date Wednesday, 30 September 2026 Venue Senwes Park, Potchefstroom Start (PKT) 4:30 PM Start (GMT) 11:30 AM Start (local, SAST) 1:30 PM
For South Africa, this is an opportunity to win all three matches. For Australia, it is a chance to address difficulties against spin bowling and fine-tune the team ahead of the Test matches. The teams have recently faced each other in 113 ODI matches; South Africa has won 57 of them and Australia 52. Three matches ended in a tie and one ended with no result.
Full Test Schedule with Timings (PKT, GMT and Local)
Test Date Venue PKT IST GMT Local (SAST) 1st Test Fri, 9 Oct (9-13 Oct) Kingsmead, Durban 12:30 PM 1:00 PM 7:30 AM 9:30 AM 2nd Test Sun, 18 Oct (18-22 Oct) St George's Park, Gqeberha 1:00 PM 1:30 PM 8:00 AM 10:00 AM 3rd Test Tue, 27 Oct (27-31 Oct) Newlands, Cape Town 1:30 PM 2:00 PM 8:30 AM 10:30 AM
Two notes on these times:
The start time of the second international match: On the Cricbuzz page, it's listed at 8.00 GMT in one line and '07:30 GMT' in another. Cricinfo shows 8.00 GMT, so I've gone with 13:00 PKT. See the scorecard as it gets nearer.
Venue for the third international match:
An earlier article and an ICC announcement in September named Johannesburg as the venue. However, both Cricbuzz and Cricinfo state Newlands in Cape Town and I have selected that option.
The Australian Test Squad
Cricket Australia announced the 16-player squad on September 7, with captain Cummins. The three players have been added due to the conditions in South Africa: Cooper Connolly, Matthew Kuhnemann and Michael Neser. Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. Australia wants Labuschagne to hold on to his spot in the middle order, where the team needs him. The other batters in the squad are Travis Head, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith and Cooper Connolly, plus all-rounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster. The team's pace attack-Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Boland-is potent and deep, while Lyon and Kuhnemann handle the spin bowling duties. Inglis's finger injury is the primary concern regarding the middle order.
The South African Test Squad
South Africa announced the preliminary squad of 18 players on 28 September to play in Temba Bavuma as captain: Temba Bavuma (captain), Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Marques Ackermann, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada. The main news concerns Kagiso Rabada. He is recovering from a right hamstring injury and his fitness will be assessed before the final squad is selected. He has taken 23 wickets in four home Test matches against Australia. Nortje and Paterson have also returned to the squad for these matches. As this is a provisional squad, changes can be expected before the first match.
ODI Squads at a Glance
South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and others. Ottneil Baartman and Lungi Ngidi were forced out of the tour due to a hamstring injury and replaced by Duan Jansen and Nqobani Mokoena. Australia's squad for the ODI matches: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have returned to the team for this series, with Travis Head, Adam Zampa, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Jack Edwards and others. Billy Stanlake and Spencer Johnson were sent home with an injury and the only replacement is Edwards.
Five Battles That Will Decide the Tests
1.Australia’s batsmen against South Africa’s spinners. The One Day International (ODI) matches highlighted the significant trouble they had facing Maharaj, Fortuin and Markram. In the Test matches, Harmer and Muthusamy will also handle the spin duties, so the Australian middle order will need to prove its mettle.
- Rabada’s fitness. If he is fully fit, South Africa’s pace attackfeaturing Rabada, Jansen, Nortje and Coetzee-looks formidable. If not, the game plan will need to change.
- Head vs. Jansen. Travis Head can change the course of a match in a single session and Jansen’s left-arm pace, combined with good bounce, will provide a stern test for him.
- Smith and Labuschagne against the new ball. Both are known for patient run-scoring and both will face a new ball that moves in the air and off the pitch in Durban.
- The captains. Bavuma is leading the Proteas through a strong run against Australia, while Cummins is a bowler who leads by example through his own performance. Two composed captains make this a tactical battle.
Why This Series Matters
This contest is about more than just pride. Every single point in the WTC matters and the 2027 final is the ultimate goal for everyone. South Africa holds the psychological edge following their victory over Australia in the 2025 WTC final and six consecutive wins in head-to-head encounters. The Australians know that winning on South African soil is a rarity and such a victory would mean a great deal to the team. How to Follow the Series Real-time scores: Cricbuzz and Cricinfo sites will have ball-by-ball updates for all matches. Match timings: Please refer to the PKT column in the table given above to know the exact day and time (according to your local time) when the match commences. Telecasts and streams: Do check with your local TV channels and online streaming providers as the telecast rights may vary depending on the region.
FAQs
- When does the third ODI match between South Africa and Australia in Pakistan take place?
- What are the dates, venues and start times of the Test matches?
- Who are the team captains for this series?
The third ODI match on September 30, 2026, starts at 16:30 Pakistan Time (PKT), that is, 11:30 GMT and 13:30 local time in Senwes Park in Potchefstroom.
The first Test match will be played in Kingsmead in Durban on October 9-13 (12:30 PKT). The second Test match will be played at St George's Park in Gqeberha on October 18-22 (13:00 PKT). The third Test match will be played at Newlands in Cape Town on October 27-31 (13:30 PKT). Local start times are 09:30, 10:00 and 10:30.
Temba Bavuma will captain the South African team in both the ODI and Test matches, while Mitchell Marsh will lead the Australian team in the ODI matches and Pat Cummins will captain the team in the Test matches.