Australia's chance for Twenty20 success
ESPNcricinfo previews the second Twenty20 between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg
Match facts
October 16, JohannesburgStart time 1430 (1230 GMT)
Big Picture
South Africa were rusty in the first game, which was to be expected after such a long lay-off. They missed chances in the field and, JP Duminy aside, didn't hit their straps with the bat. But on a better batting pitch in Johannesburg, they will be able to use the pace from Australia's fast men and feel the ball coming off the bat. Hashim Amla now has a match under his belt as the country's captain and he will lead with more confidence at the Wanderers. The key for the hosts is to produce a more consistent performance - Duminy, Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe played well in the series opener, but they cannot be expected to carry the side.Form guide
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In the spotlight
South Africa's batting in the first match was built around JP Duminy, who played himself in and then started finding the middle of the bat. He enjoys playing against Australia and will again be a key man at the Wanderers.Team news
Rusty Theron was a weak link in South Africa's attack and could be under pressure from Wayne Parnell. Graeme Smith was rusty in the first game and would benefit from another outing. Richard Levi has a strong case to be included, and it could be at the expense of David Miller.Pitch and conditions
The Wanderers surface is expected to be hard and bouncy, with plenty of runs available for the batsmen. The seamers are likely to find more assistance than the spinners. The forecast is for a sunny day and a top of 27C.Stats and trivia
- South Africa and Australia have met in seven Twenty20 internationals. Thursday's win by Australia was the first victory in those seven games by the away team.
- Graeme Smith needs 42 runs to become the third man to reach 1000 runs in Twenty20 internationals, after Brendon McCullum and Kevin Pietersen.
Quotes
"If we can improve 5-10% every game, we are heading in the right direction."South Africa batsman JP Duminy
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo