With the senior statesman David Miller unavailable, the 22-year-old Dewald Brevis is likely to get an extended run in the ongoing white-ball series against Australia. After being the top-scorer in the T20Is, Brevis is likely to make his ODI debut against Australia in Cairns on Tuesday, August 19, as skipper Temba Bavuma hinted at on the eve of the series opener while speaking to the reporters. Captain Bavuma was among the five inclusions for South Africa for the ODIs and Brevis may be slotted in the middle-order, alongside Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder.
"It's always exciting when you see the young faces," Bavuma told reporters on Monday. "Obviously the big talk has been on Brevis, (he's been) putting up his hand and showing what he is capable of.
"(I'm) excited to see what he can also bring within the one-day stuff," he added. While Ryan Rickelton is likely to open the innings alongside vice-captain Markram, Bavuma, Stubbs, Brevis and Mulder will form the rest of the batting order. Keshav Maharaj, the veteran left-arm spinner, who last played in the first of the two Tests against Zimbabwe, will also return to the fold as the Proteas take on a solid Australian side, with Corbin Bosch at No.7 to shore up the batting a bit.
This will be the first ODI assignment for South Africa since the Champions Trophy semi-final loss against New Zealand in March. While most of the regulars are available for the series for the Proteas, the challenge will be to click collectively as a unit as Australia will come hard at them.
The last time these two sides locked horns against each other in an ODI series, it was a thriller as the hosts South Africa came from behind to win the series 3-2, after being 0-2 down having lost the first two matches. Australia would want to ride on the momentum from the T20I series win as they begin their ODI life after the retirements of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell from the format.
