The South African think-tank would be pleased with the fact that Hashim Amla has played pivotal roles in the tri-series. In their last match against West Indies in St. Kitts, Amla clipped, cajoled and caressed the ball into gaps to compile a sublime ton. Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock, too, have been in prime form during the tournament. However, the fulcrum of South Africa's batting line-up, AB de Villiers, hasn't exactly hit top form in the series, and will be desperate to make his mark in the crucial encounter.
In the bowling department, Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso have shared 19 scalps between them. Tahir, in particular, has shone brightly, and was in devastating form against the home team at Warner Park, where he ended up with a seven-wicket haul. However, the track at Kensington Oval might not assist the spinners. Thus, Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell, who have performed in fits and starts in the tri-series so far, need to raise their game.
Australia's campaign, too, has been a topsy-turvy one. They started the tournament on a bright note by pipping West Indies in Guyana and also overcame South Africa in St. Kitts. On the flip side, Australia suffered reversals at the hands of South Africa in Guyana and West Indies in St. Kitts, respectively.
With two back-to-back half-centuries, including a well-measured 98 in the last game against West Indies, Usman Khawaja has been in good touch. Steven Smith has essayed a couple of useful hands in the middle-order. Australia, though, will sorely miss the services of David Warner, who injured his finger in the match against South Africa on June 11 and was subsequently ruled out of the series.
Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have been the chief wicket-takers for Australia. The pacers, who are well-known for their ability to land it on a back of a length and extract disconcerting bounce, should also find the conditions at Bridgetown to their liking. The visitors have shelled a handful of chances in the tournament and that is one area where there is a scope for improvement.
When: June 19, 2016 at 13:00 local time (22:30 IST)
Where: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
What to expect: It has certainly been a tournament full of twists and turns, and a clash between two powerhouses of cricket should evoke excitement and interest among the fans. Curiously, the last ODI that took place in Barbados was back in 2011 when Pakistan played West Indies. Since then, the stadium has hosted only T20Is and Test matches. Even though the track has slowed down overs the years, it is still widely acknowledged as the quickest pitch in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, rain threat looms over the highly anticipated match, with showers expected throughout the day.
Team news:
Australia: Australia have included Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell in their 12-man squad for Sunday's tri-series clash against South Africa in Barbados. Starc, the left-arm pacer, replaces Nathan Coulter-Nile while Maxwell comes in for the 22-year-old Travis Head, who had a largely forgettable One-Day International debut against West Indies in St. Kitts.
South Africa: South Africa are expected to play an unchanged line-up.
Did you know:
- AB de Villiers has not scored a fifty after four innings this series. Only once in his ODI career he batted for five innings in a series without registering a fifty - vs England in 2008.
- The top-four wicket-takers of the series are all spinners - Imran Tahir (13 wickets), Adam Zampa (9), Sunil Narine (8) and Aaron Phangiso (6).
- AB de Villiers is set to play his 200th ODI for South Africa.
What they said:
"Imran Tahir, in my opinion, has shown why he is the number one ODI bowler in world cricket. He has got great variations, he takes wickets and can bowl on any surface, especially when the wickets don't spin, that is when he is dangerous," said Claude Henderson, South Africa's spin bowling coach.
"I don't think we fielded particularly well and obviously, I put my hand up in that department," admitted Usman Khawaja, who dropped a couple of crucial chances in the last game against West Indies.
Squads:
South Africa (From): Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock(w), AB de Villiers(c), Faf du Plessis, Jean-Paul Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, Wayne Parnell, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dean Elgar, Aaron Phangiso, Kyle Abbott, Morne Morkel
Australia (From): Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith(c), George Bailey, Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Matthew Wade(w), James Faulkner, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc
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