South Africa enters first ODI against Aus without spearhead Kagiso Rabada

The Australian

12 hours ago

Australia's innings is in free-fall at Cazalys Stadium.
Australia is in the midst of an all-time collapse as South African spinner Keshav Maharaj rips through the top order, leaving Mitch Marsh with plenty of work to do to salvage the first ODI.
Maharaj had the stunning figures of 4-5 from his first three overs at Cazalys Stadium, as Australia fell from 0-60 to 5-75 in the space of five overs.
Prenelan Subrayen had Travis Head stumped for the first time in an ODI in nine years before Maharaj ripped in.
He had Marnus Labuschagne lbw for 1, bowled Cameron Green two overs later, then sent keepers Josh Inglis and Alex Carey with successive deliveries.
Marsh, who opened the batting alongside Head, remains unbeaten, but is quickly running out of dance partners.
He shared in a 14-run partnership with Aaron Hardie before Maharaj had him clean bowled for a first career five-fa.
The Aussies are chasing a target of 297 for victory.
INNINGS BREAK: Head reels in South Africa
A flurry of wickets in the final 10 overs has helped Australia keep South Africa to a manageable target in the first one-day international in Cairns.
Travis Head will be claiming genuine all-rounder honours after his efforts with ball in hand, claiming four wickets including the prized scalp of Dewald Brevis.
The Aussies looked sure to be staring down the barrel of a total of significantly more than 300, but the spin partnership of Adam Zampa and Head helped them claw their way back into the contest.
The tourists got the start they would've been hoping for via the opening pair of Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton, as they put on 92 for the first wicket.
Aiden Markram was in superb touch in his return to the top of the order. Picture: AFP
Markram looked a near certainty to reach three figures, cruising to 82 at just better than a run a ball and looking totally untroubled at the crease.
But a brain fade near the halfway point of the innings brought him unstuck, as he guided a Ben Dwarshius delivery into the waiting gloves of Josh Inglis.
His departure brought Matthew Breetzke to the crease to pair with captain Temba Bavuma.
Their partnership wasn't all that flashy, but it was effective, as they took the Proteas all the way to 3/223 at the 40-over mark.
Just as South Africa looked poised to capitalise on their strong start and put together a massive total, the Aussies found their way back into the contest.
Travis Head was Australia's chief destroyer. Picture: AFP
They did so via the spin tandem of specialist Zampa and Head.
It was the former who knocked over the first domino, having Breetzke caught in the deep for 57.
Subsequently, Head struck twice in the span of three balls, first having Tristan Stubbs caught for a duck.
And while 22-year-old sensation Brevis made a statement with his first ball, he was brought unstuck by his second, departing for six as he holed out to long on.
South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma reacts as he walks off the ground after being bowled out. Picture: AFP
The 31-year-old could do no wrong, picking up his fourth wicket when he had Keshav Maharaj caught in the deep.
And he was able to effect the unluckiest of run outs for Prenelan Subrayen, getting a fingertip to the ball as it flew back toward the stumps at the non-strikers end, with the off-spinner caught millimetres short of his ground.
A last-ball six from Wiaan Mulder (31 off 26) was enough to see the Proteas just short of the 300 mark, as they finished their allotment on 8/296.
Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the ODI series. Picture: Getty Images
Meanwhile, South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of the three-match one-day international series against Australia because of inflammation in his ankle.
Rabada played all three Twenty20s in the preceding series between the teams but underwent a scan on Monday after feeling discomfort.
South Africa announced Rabada's withdrawal just one hour before the ODI series-opener in Cairns.
He will remain on the Australia tour, where he will undergo rehabilitation. Left-arm 19-year-old quick Kwena Maphaka, who claimed a leading nine wickets in the T20 series, has been added to the squad but was overlooked for the series-opener.
Veteran quick Lungi Ngidi leads a South African attack featuring off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen, who makes his ODI debut.
South Africa were sent in to bat first.
Mitch Turner
Senior sports reporter
Mitch Turner is the senior sports reporter at the Cairns Post. He has previously worked at the Portland Observer in south west Victoria and the Mackay Daily Mercury. Mitch studied a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Journalism at Monash University. A keen sportsman, Mitch's first loves are cricket and basketball, but he has covered dozens of sports both major and smaller-scale.
Mitch Turner