The three-match T20I series between South Africa and Australia is currently poised at 1-1. In case the Proteas secure a win in the third T20I in Cairns, it will be for the first time in 16 years that South Africa beat Australia in a T20I series.
South Africa will step onto the field in Cairns on Saturdayย chasing more than just another T20I win. A victory in the series decider would mark their first T20I series triumph over Australia in 16 years, a milestone that has eluded the Proteas despite numerous close contests. The last time South Africa secured a T20I series win against Australia was back in 2009, and since then, the balance in this format has largely tilted in favour of the Aussies.
That long wait could finally come to an end at Cazalyโs Stadium, where the teams will play the final match of what has been a tightly fought series. The venue, hosting its first-ever T20I, adds an extra layer of unpredictability, and itโs that unfamiliarity that South Africa captain Aiden Markram believes might work in his sideโs favour.
โWeโve never been to Darwin or to this place (Cairns. Weโve enjoyed our time. Obviously, a different feel to what weโre used to in Australia, but South Africans sort of like that. Itโs a bit more open, a bit more relaxed, a bit more chilled. People have been great, and all the sideshows have been really good as well,โ Markram said in the press conference ahead of the third T20I.
Will be nice challenge for the batters: Markram
That relaxed approach has clearly worked for Dewald Brevis, who bludgeoned Australiaโs attack in the second T20I to level the series. His match-winning knock has given the Proteas a timely boost, but Markram has called for a more collective effort from the batting group. However, given the unknown conditions, he hoped that the batters click.
โI think the bowlers have been pretty good for us, and Brevis in the previous game made our batters look good, but it was very much an individual performance. So, it will be a nice challenge for our batters tomorrow (Saturday) to hopefully click,โ Markram said.
Australia, meanwhile, havenโt played a T20I series decider since September 2022 and will be looking to assert their dominance at home. However, with Brevis and Kwena Maphaka in form and the Proteas sensing a rare series win.