The Aussies will face a stern test with a South African team on fire with the bat, can Pat Cummins’ side get on the board or will their hopes in India be almost dashed already?

FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION BELOW

INNINGS BREAK: PROTEAS SET AUSTRALIA 312 TO WIN

Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey was sensationally axed as a century from his South African counterpart Quinton de Kock powered the Proteas to an imposing total on Thursday.

The Aussies were once more their own worst enemies, dropping five catches as South Africa finished at 7-311 off its 50 overs.

Increasingly desperate after losing their World Cup opener to India in Chennai on Sunday, the Aussies overhauled their middle order, axing Carey and all-rounder Cameron Green while also changing tack by electing to bowl after struggling with the ball in dewy conditions four days earlier.

As expected, Marcus Stoinis returned from his hamstring injury to replace Green, but Josh Inglis’ inclusion at the expense of Carey was a genuine surprise given Australian coach Andrew McDonald had strongly endorsed the South Australian as the side’s preferred gloveman just a week ago.

Carey’s omission followed a second-ball duck against India, the continuation of a poor run since midway through the Ashes series and coinciding with the public backlash that followed his controversial stumping of England’s Jonny Bairstow on day five at Lord’s.

Inglis, a perennial understudy across all three formats in recent years, made an inauspicious start to his World Cup career, putting down an edge from Temba Bavuma in Adam Zampa’s first over when the Proteas captain was on 19.

Also missed on the boundary by sub-fielder Sean Abbott off Stoinis’ bowling, Bavuma eventually fell to Glenn Maxwell, caught at deep midwicket by David Warner for 35.

Maxwell continued his rich vein of bowling form to be comfortably the pick of the Australian attack. His flat, darty off-spin yielded 2-34 from 10 overs, including the scalp of de Kock chopping on.

But that was only after the South African opener blasted five sixes en route to 109 off 106 balls, his second straight ton to start the tournament. De Kock – who will retire from one-day internationals after this tournament – was inventive and rarely looked troubled on a wicket with moderate variable bounce, hitting Josh Hazlewood for consecutive sixes over deep fine leg and then bringing up his ton with a six over deep midwicket off Pat Cummins.

Zampa bowled with more control than in Chennai yet still finished with an unflattering 1-70, punished late by Aiden Markram who struck three straight boundaries in the 43rd over.

Markram had been given a life on one after Cummins spilled a regulation return catch.

Cummins eventually broke through to remove Markram – caught at backward point – for 56 at the start of the following over as Australia briefly did well to limit the extent of the damage against a battling lineup that had amassed 428 against Sri Lanka last Saturday.

That was until the penultimate over – bowled by Cummins – when Maxwell let a ground ball past him and Mitchell Starc and Stoinis spilled high chances off Miller and Jansen respectively.

South Africa included wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi at the expense of paceman Gerald Coetzee. Bavuma said at the toss that the move was in part because of the pitch, and in part to expose a a perceived Australian weakness against spin.

11:10PM: FIGHTBACK LIMITS DAMAGE

Some key wickets at some very key times seem to have kept Australia from having to chase an unreachable goal, and appear to be climbing back into this.

Just when South Africa were just starting to roll again, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood both struck with important wickets.

Now with only a few overs to go, the Aussies have implemented a slower method to frustrate the batsmen.

Another key component has been keeping David Miller off-strike as much as possible, with Marco Jansen facing the majority of the deliveries.

The big quick has hit back hard however, whacking Mitch Starc a couple of times for boundaries.

After being dispatched earlier, the Aussie quicks have fought back well to change the pace of this game.

10:30PM: SLOWLY BUT SURELY TURNING THE TIDE

Glenn Maxwell the new frontline spinner?????

Doubtful, but he’s claimed the big wicket of Quinton de Kock after what was an absolute stinker of a delivery, but it got the result the Aussies were after.

Maxwell bowled a superb spell for the Aussies going at less than 3.5 runs per over and claiming two big wickets.

Meanwhile, de Kock’s sparkling form continues at the World Cup with consecutive centuries.

With two seemingly fresh batsmen at the crease and around 10 overs to go in the innings, now is the time you feel Australia need to put some wickets together to keep this score down.

9:45PM: FIGHTBACK IS ON?

Who said Australia couldn’t threaten with their spin?

Well, this blogg, HOWEVER, this time it’s Adam Zampa who strikes, getting the wicket of van der Dussen, who was looking extremely threatening.

The South African holed out to Sean Abbott at long-on who took a safe catch, no issues with the boundary rope this time.

The momentum may have just been quelled however, with Cummins putting down the new batsman Markram as Quinton de Kock reaches his century, a superb innings.

Australia will have to claim him soon if they are going to keep this target down.

9:00PM: DANGER, WARNING, HAZARD SIGNS FLASHING

The way it’s looking, the Aussies are going to have to chase a mammoth total in Lucknow to keep themselves above water at this World Cup.

Quinton de Kock has raced into the 60s, while his partner got another life, surviving another tough chance.

Bevuma whacked one towards the square leg boundary, with sub fielder Sean Abbott taking the catch on the rope, before his weight took him over.

In an attempt to throw it back towards a teammate, Abbott missed Mitch Starc and the chance was gone.

These two have started to pile on the runs, reaching a 100-run stand and setting a brilliant platform for their side to launch off.

What answers can Pat Cummins and his side find?

Glenn Maxwell it is !

Bavuma holes out to David Warner on the rope and Australia have a breakthrough.

8:35PM: PROTEAS PILE ON PAIN, AS CAREY REPLACEMENT FLUFFS

A confident South Africa batting unit was always going to be a tough challenge for the Aussies, and it is proving to be that and more to start this game.

The Aussies were unable to pick up a wicket in the first 10 overs as Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma settle nicely into this innings.

The former especially has looked in fantastic touch, punishing the odd ball from the Aussie quicks.

These two could be in position to put South Africa in a brilliant spot to build this innings, and it’s danger signs for the Aussies who elected to bowl first.

Alex Carey will be kicking himself further now, with his replacement putting down an easy chance off Adam Zampa’s first over.

Zampa slid one past the bat of Bavuma, grabbed the edge put Inglis could not complete the catch.

7:45PM: CAREY’S QUICK FALL FROM GRACE

Does it all go back to that stumping at Lord’s? Fox Cricket’s Kerry’O Keefe seems to think so when discussin Alex Carey’s poor form.

The commentator told the keeper to be “like a goldfish,” referring to thr tv show Ted Lasso and forgetting what has happened in the past.

Carey captained this ODI team as recently as 2021, and his replacement Josh Inglis may have a chance to press his claims for another one of Carey’s gigs should he play well.

Australia’s chances of making the final four hinge massively on tonight’s result, so was the Inglis move out of desperation?

7:00PM: SURPRISE IN STORE FOR CRUCIAL WORLD CUP CLASH

A week after declaring Alex Carey was Australia’s clear No. 1 with the gloves, Australia’s selectors have lost patience with the wicketkeeper, dropping him for Josh Inglis.

Coach Andrew McDonald had this to say when asked last Thursday if there was a discussion to be had about Inglis taking over from Carey:

“I think you saw our intentions are clear with Alex taking the gloves in the final practice game against Pakistan. There’s no doubt Josh is playing an up tempo game the laps and reverse laps,” McDonald said.

“He’s always been an option for us. And not only in the keeping space, but but in the batting space as well. So we feel as though he might have a role somewhere in the tournament as a batter only and if something were to happen to Alex, then we’ve got a capable backup.

“But Alex Carey over a period of time has been ultra impressive.”

But Carey made a second-ball duck against India, continuing a poor run of form.

The Aussies will bowl first after winning the toss.

Australia call on secret weapon for crucial World Cup showdown

Australia was calling on the local knowledge of cricket great Andy Flower as it braces for a vastly different wicket in Lucknow to the one it confronted at Chennai on Sunday.

Former Zimbabwe captain and England coach Flower has been spending time working with the Aussies on and off in recent months, consulting ahead of the World Test Championship final and during the Ashes.

He is back with the side for a period during the World Cup, and was on the field in a meeting with captain Pat Cummins, coach Andrew McDonald and selection chair George Bailey, 24 hours out from Australia’s match against South Africa at the Ekana Stadium.

Flower knows this venue better than most. He coached the Indian Premier League’s Lucknow Super Giants across the past two seasons before being replaced by ex-Australian coach Justin Langer.

Australia struggled on a slow turner at Chepauk in its six-wicket loss to India on Sunday, but Cummins said on Wednesday that the pitch at Lucknow – which hosts Australia’s next two matches against the Proteas and South Africa – appeared a different proposition.

“It’s a beautiful stadium. I thought I had been here but I don’t think I have but (it’s a) beautiful ground. The wicket looks really good. I haven’t had a look at it today. But last night looked really good. Really even so maybe a bit of pace and bounce. Yeah, so we’ll see how it is tomorrow,” Cummins said.

“When it’s a good wicket, which that looks like, most of the games have been 300 plus.”

While India’s spinners ran through the Aussies on Sunday afternoon, Australia’s tweaker twins Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell did not have anywhere near the same success under lights, struggling to control the ball because of dew.

It called into question Cummins’ decision to bat first on Sunday, but he said the India experience would not necessarily sway the strategy this time around.

“I think it’s different at every venue. So you know here it’s whatever a few thousand kilometres away from Chennai it’s a bit different,” Cummins said.

“Probably have another look tonight, see if there’s dew but it doesn’t seem like there’s as much dew at this ground. But yeah, I don’t really have a strong opinion on the dew in one-day cricket. Some games the ball gets heavy and it’s actually better to bowl at night and other games it gets so slippery that it’s hard to grip onto so it’s kind of a bit different to T20.”

Cummins reiterated that all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who also plays in the IPL for Lucknow, was available for the match after missing the defeat to India following a hamstring complaint. But Cummins said the Aussies would confirm their XI at the toss.

Originally published as Cricket World Cup 2023: Live coverage, scores of Australia v South Africa clash