Hazlewood Rested as Australia Bat First in Dead Rubber ODI vs South Africa

Hazlewood Rested, Australia Bat First in Final ODI vs South Africa

Australia made several changes as they looked to avoid a clean sweep in the final ODI against South Africa in Mackay. Josh Hazlewood was rested, giving Sean Abbott and Cooper Connolly a chance in the playing XI, while Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to bat first for the first time in his international captaincy career.

This match, though a dead rubber with South Africa already securing the series, carried significance for Australia, who have never been whitewashed in an ODI series at home. With pride at stake and preparation for upcoming tours ahead, both teams made changes to balance workloads and test new combinations. Hazlewood

Australia’s Changes

Hazlewood, who featured in all three T20Is and the first two ODIs, was given rest. Cricket Australia confirmed before the toss that he had been sent home early to Sydney. Abbott, who replaced him in the squad, came straight into the XI. Hazlewood

Another notable inclusion was Cooper Connolly. The young spinning allrounder was recalled after Matt Short and Mitchell Owen were ruled out with injuries. Although Connolly had previously opened in the Champions Trophy semi-final against India, he was placed at No. 7 in this match to strengthen the lower order.

Aaron Hardie missed out, while Ben Dwarshuis remained sidelined due to a minor hamstring issue.

Australia XI:

1. Mitchell Marsh (capt)

2. Travis Head

3. Marnus Labuschagne

4. Cameron Green

5. Josh Inglis (wk)

6. Alex Carey

7. Cooper Connolly

8. Sean Abbott

9. Xavier Bartlett

10. Nathan Ellis

11. Adam Zampa

South Africa’s Changes

South Africa, having already sealed the series, also experimented. Captain Temba Bavuma returned after missing the second game. He replaced Matthew Breetzke, who was left out due to a tight hamstring, with Tony de Zorzi shifting to No. 4. Hazlewood

The Proteas also gave opportunities to Corbin Bosch and young pacer Kwena Maphaka, resting their stars Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger who had impressed earlier in the series.

South Africa XI:

1. Ryan Rickelton

2. Aiden Markram (capt)

3. Temba Bavuma

4. Tony de Zorzi

5. Tristan Stubbs

6. Dewald Brevis

7. Wiaan Mulder

8. Corbin Bosch

9. Keshav Maharaj

10. Senuran Muthusamy

11. Kwena Maphaka

Context of the Match

For Australia, this game was not just about avoiding a sweep but also preparing for a busy international calendar. After this series, they head to New Zealand for a T20I contest, before returning home for a blockbuster series against India which includes three ODIs and five T20Is leading into the Ashes. Hazlewood

South Africa, meanwhile, are preparing for their England tour and the T20 World Cup later in 2026. Rotating players like Bavuma, Ngidi, and Burger was part of their workload management strategy. Hazlewood

Key Talking Points

• Hazlewood’s rest: The pace spearhead has been heavily used across formats. His absence opened the door for Abbott, who has been waiting for his chance.

• Connolly’s return: The young allrounder adds depth with both bat and ball. Australia will be eager to test him ahead of tougher challenges.

• Bavuma’s comeback: His leadership is vital as South Africa fine-tune their batting order before big assignments.

• Battle for pride: Though the series is decided, Australia’s record of never being swept in ODIs at home is on the line.

As both teams balance experimentation with competitiveness, the Mackay crowd witnessed a clash that carried weight beyond just numbers. Australia’s batting-first decision gave them a chance to set a strong total and test their bowlers against a refreshed South African lineup. Hazlewood

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