Australia won the toss and batted in Durban. Nic Maddinson, 34, opens alongside Travis Head, his first Test in almost ten years, as Cameron Green misses out with an abdominal strain.
Cricinfo staff reported on Friday 9 October 2026 that Australia won the toss and chose to bat in the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead. The headline call is at the top of the order: Nic Maddinson, 34, opens with Travis Head, his first Test in close to a decade.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | South Africa v Australia, 1st Test, Kingsmead, Durban, 9-13 October 2026 (series opener) |
| Toss | Australia won and chose to bat |
| Conditions | Sunny, with the pitch expected to turn later in the game |
| Australia change | Maddinson in and opening; Cameron Green out with an abdominal strain |
| South Africa | Anrich Nortje back after three and a half years; Rabada and Ngidi unavailable |
Maddinson's return and Australia's XI
Australia XI, in batting order: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood. Renshaw bats at 5 and Webster at 7.
Maddinson played three Tests in late 2016 and has waited about a decade for a fourth. He had treatment for testicular cancer last year and has not played first-class cricket since March 2025, which makes the recall as much a personal story as a selection one.
Green was ruled out days before the Test with an abdominal strain picked up during the ODI series. He stays with the squad in the hope of featuring in later Tests. Cooper Connolly, the other contender for the vacancy, missed out after leaving the final training session with head-cold symptoms.
South Africa's attack and XI
South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje. Bedingham bats at 3, a new role for him in Tests.
Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi are both unavailable through injury, so the pace group is built around Jansen and a returning Nortje, who has not played a Test for three and a half years. Harmer partners Maharaj as the second spinner, in line with expectations that the surface will take turn.
Context: a first since the sandpaper tour
This is the first Test series between the sides in South Africa since the 2018 tour that became tied to the sandpaper scandal. South Africa beat Australia in the Lord's World Test Championship final and have won 13 of their last 14 Tests, though they have not played a Test since November 2025. Australia have their own record to lean on, having won their last three Tests at Kingsmead.
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