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Match facts

Rising Pune Supergiant v Royal Challengers Bangalore
Pune, April 29, 2017
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)

Head to head

This season: An inexperienced opening bowling pair of Jaydev Unadkat and Shardul Thakur strangled a batting-heavy Royal Challengers Bangalore line-up to defend 161 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The duo ended with combined figures of 8-0-60-5.Overall: In their three meetings so far, Royal Challengers hold a 2-1 edge, having won both their matches against Rising Pune last year.

Form guide

• Rising Pune Supergiant (fourth): lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets, beat Mumbai Indians by three runs, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets

• Royal Challengers Bangalore (seventh): lost to Gujarat Lions by seven wickets, lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by 82 runs, beat Gujarat Lions by 21 runs

In the news

Ben Stokes, who injured his shoulder in the game against Mumbai Indians on Monday, is likely to miss next couple of matches.In Rising Pune’s last match, Steven Smith had said they wanted to make the MCA Stadium a fortress with back-to-back matches coming up. When Stokes could not play because he was “sore”, bringing in Faf du Plessis instead of beefing up their inexperienced bowling attack did not help.Royal Challengers, who can technically still make the playoffs, will be happy to have Tymal Mills fit again and help them bag wickets even as the batsmen struggle to score over 150.

The likely XIs

Rising Pune Supergiant: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Faf du Plessis, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Dan Christian, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Jaydev UnadkatRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Chris Gayle/Travis Head, 2 Virat Kohli (capt), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Kedar Jadhav (wk), 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Pawan Negi, 7 Samuel Badree, 8 Tymal Mills/Adam Milne, 9 S Aravind, 10 Aniket Choudhary, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Strategy punt

Rahul Tripathi, Rising Pune’s giant in the Powerplays so far, has a rapid strike-rate of 170.71 (169 runs off 99 balls) in the first six overs this season. Against left-arm bowlers in the same period, however, his strike-rate drops to 114.8 (31 runs off 27 balls). Even though RCB often bowl Samuel Badree or Yuzvendra Chahal in the Powerplay, they could opt for S Aravind or Pawan Negi this time to keep Tripathi in check.

Stats that matter

• Going by the win-loss ratio, RCB are having their worst season in the last 10 years. With two wins and six losses, the ratio stands at 0.33. Their second-worst season was the inaugural edition in 2008 when they won only four of the 14 matches.
• Steven Smith, Rising Pune’s highest scorer this season, has scored only 22 runs off 26 balls with a strike-rate of 84.61 against Yuzvendra Chahal, Royal Challengers’ highest wicket-taker so far.
• Among bowlers who have bowled over 10 overs in the first 15 overs this IPL, Shane Watson’s economy rate of 10.60 is the worst.
• Among batsmen who have played at least 10 IPL innings, AB de Villiers has the best strike-rate in the last five overs of an innings. He has scored 905 runs off 393 balls with a staggering strike-rate of 230.27.
• Tripathi has been dismissed only twice in 99 balls in Powerplays this season.

Australia and Bangladesh are at odds over the timing and format of the tour tentatively scheduled for later this year after the previously planned visit by Steven Smiths’ team was scuppered due to security concerns.While the Future Tours Programme has Australia visiting Bangladesh in July for two Test matches as per the original 2015 plan, it has been reported that Cricket Australia (CA) suggested changing the tour to an ODI-based visit ahead of the limited-overs tour of India scheduled for October before the home Ashes summer.However the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is believed to have relayed to CA its preference for the tour to remain as originally mapped out, partly because the national team is presently in arguably the richest vein of Test-match form in its history, having registered wins over England and Sri Lanka in recent months.Among Bangladesh’s other reasons for maintaining the tour’s current place is that they have other proposed tours that clash with CA’s plan. Bangladesh are set to play Pakistan in July and August, before touring South Africa from mid-September to late October.The Australian proposal would by contrast maintain consistency for Smith’s team in the wake of the Champions Trophy in England. It would also allow for the selection of a limited overs-specific squad that would in turn offer the opportunity for numerous Test players to play a full Sheffield Shield schedule at home leading into the Ashes.CA and the players also need to consider rolling security assessments for Australian nationals in Bangladesh; previously, the Australian government’s travel-advice website had warned that Australians were subject to a specific threat in Bangladesh, leading to the cancellation of the 2015 tour. The current travel advice for Australians visiting the region is to “reconsider your need to travel” in light of “reliable information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Western interests in Bangladesh”. A CA spokesperson said security remained a primary concern.”We are still hopeful of touring Bangladesh in the near future but the safety of players and officials will always come first,” he said. “We will continue to monitor advice from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and our own security advisors about the security risk for any future tours of the Australian team in Bangladesh and make a decision based on this advice closer to any potential tour.”Discussions between CA and the BCB are ongoing.

Cape Cobras‘ stunning second-half-of-the-season surge continued as they beat log-leaders Knights in Paarl to lie in second-place with one round to play. Cobras were last on the points table at the halfway stage, with little over half the points of their nearest rival, but have reeled off three wins in a row under new coach Ashwell Prince and new captain Dane Piedt, and are now serious title-contenders.On a juicy surface, Cobras chose to bat against the competition’s best attack and struggled to cope. Duanne Olivier (4 for 43) and Shadley van Schalkwyk (4 for 40) sliced through them to dismiss the hosts for 154 in 52.2 overs. Justin Ontong’s 38 was the top score with only four other batsmen getting into the 20s.Knights’ joy was shortlived, though. They finished the first day on 137 for 6 with wickets shared among four of Cobras’ frontlines including franchise debutant Kyle Simmonds. Things did not get easier for Knights on the second morning – they lost their last four wickets for 16 runs and were bundled out for 153, giving Cobras a one-run lead.Play was briefly interrupted by smoke from a nearby bush fire which allowed Cobras to compose themselves after they slipped to 22 for 2 in their second innings and they went on post the highest total of the match. Kolpak signings Stiaan van Zyl and Dane Vilas made 106 and 62 respectively and contributions in the 40s from Ontong and Jason Smith pushed their total over 300.Olivier was among the wickets again and finished the match with seven to extend his lead at the top of the bowling charts but Knights were given a tough target of 332 to win. With more than a day to play, time was on their side but Piedt had other ideas. He took 6 for 87, while Simmonds chipped in with the other four, to dismiss Knights for 180 on the third afternoon and dent their hopes of claiming the first-class cup.

Aditya Tare, the Mumbai captain, had plenty to ponder on a day in which overtook his own record of most dismissals, 50, in a season. After his batsmen were in a tearing hurry to raze Gujarat on a surface that demanded patience, his bowlers nearly handed the advantage by allowing Parthiv Patel (90) and Manprit Juneja (77) to counter-attack and put them on the back foot. Then they struck thrice in quick succession to end a day neither side could entirely claim their own.It was almost as if both sides challenged the other to capitalise on openings. Mumbai dropped chances – only time will tell if Shreyas Iyer’s reprieve of Manprit Juneja on 15 would be crucial – and the bowlers conceded 130 runs in the second session. Then, there was the frustration of having to contend with a couple of umpiring decisions, before they had one in their favour, also because of an error. Juneja was caught on the pull but replays showed Shardul Thakur had overstepped. Then right at the close, Tare fluffed a regulation chance to dismiss Chirag Gandhi.”There were opportunities that we had but unfortunately we didn’t convert,” Tare said. “Otherwise it would have been a different story. And we bowled a no-ball where we got a wicket, an important one but you have to accept it, it is going to happen.They built up a very fast partnership. Within no time, they put on almost 100 runs. That really affected us. But, obviously we are happy to have both of them out.”If Mumbai were still alive despite all this, it was because of Abhishek Nayar’s persistence. The veteran’s intensity and rhythm stood out. He clocked in spells of seven, ten and seven overs, the reward being the wickets of Priyank Panchal, Bhargav Merai and Parthiv. At no stage could the batsmen relax, not even when Parthiv and Juneja were reeling off runs in boundaries in the middle session.”He is phenomenal. I used to think no one is indispensable but in terms of Abhishek Nayar, I dare not say that. He is incredible, his character is outstanding,” Tare said. “The way he works hard for the team is phenomenal. I am so proud to have him in my squad. He is a terrific guy to have in the team. He bowls his heart out, he bats his heart out for the team. An absolutely genius fellow.”The pressure built up by Nayar at one end was released at the other. After nearly bowling through the opening session, Thakur appeared to be tiring. Vijay Gohil, the left-arm spinner, was easily being picked away for runs. Tare’s use of Vishal Dabholkar, another left-arm spinner who was specifically brought in for this game, was surprising. When he finally came on in the 54th over, Parthiv and Juneja appeared set. It elicited questions of whether Tare and the Mumbai team management had misread the surface and were better off playing an extra seamer. Tare didn’t think so.”Look its red soil, you never know on the fifth day,” Tare countered. “We hope that on the fifth day, the ball starts spinning. I feel there will be turn and bounce. That’s why we went in with two left-arm spinners. Today, I thought there was help for the pacers throughout the day and I wanted them to bowl before the target [Mumbai’s total] was achieved. It was important that they get to bowl a lot of overs, and that’s what the plan was.”Despite having to do all the running, Tare was confident of a comeback and didn’t flinch when it was asked to him if at any stage they felt the pressure. “It is still open. Three more days to go and obviously I thought we did play pretty well in the first session and the last session,” he said. “We leaked up a few more runs in the second session but otherwise had we taken the opportunities that we got, it would have been a different story but nevertheless, it happens in the game of cricket and we have to accept it. I feel the game is pretty open and we will bounce back, I am pretty sure about it.”

Kraigg Brathwaite’s 101 off 146 balls helped hosts Barbados off to a winning start in the 2017 WICB Regional Super50 as they trounced Guyana by 145 runs at Kensington Oval. Brathwaite’s maiden List A hundred in his 31st match anchored the Barbados innings as they eventually finished on 302 for 7.The bulk of the runs came during a 122-run third-wicket stand between Brathwaite and Jonathan Carter, who dominated their partnership while making a brisk 75 off 63 balls. Jason Holder took two wickets with the new ball to make early inroads in Guyana’s chase before the twin spin tandem of Ashley Nurse and Sulieman Benn did the rest of the damage. Offspinner Nurse claimed 4 for 42 while left-arm spinner Benn finished with 4 for 35 as Guyana were bowled out for 157 in just 32 overs.Combined Campuses and Colleges caused a stir at Three Ws Oval earlier in the day as they upset Jamaica by 75 runs. Amir Jangoo top-scored with 64 off 114 balls in CCC’s battling total of 215 for 8, which turned out to be more than enough in the end.Keon Harding wiped out Jamaica’s top three inside the first seven overs before Mark Deyal took three more to wreck the Jamaica middle order. Jamaica were still in with a reasonable chance of chasing down the total at 103 for 5 after 24 overs with Brandon King on 48, but left-arm spinner Larry Edwards struck with the first ball of the 25th to remove King, sparking a collapse of 4 for 20 over the next six overs and Jamaica ultimately subsided for 140 in 35 overs.

The most satisfying aspect of the 2-0 series lead for India will be that they haven’t always had their best XI available. They have played only one of the three Tests with first-choice openers. They lost their No. 1 wicketkeeper after the second Test, and the leading fast bowler has been fighting a niggle through the series. When they went into a week-long break, thanks to an early finish to the Mohali Test, India had a dodgy M Vijay added back to the catalogue.Two days before the Mumbai Test, though, India took to training with fewer doubts than they had in Mohali. KL Rahul, who took a blow on the arm when fielding in Visakhapatnam, was back in the nets, taking the first hit. Vijay looked in a better space as he had a long net session too. While Mohammed Shami didn’t train on Tuesday, India don’t have a major concern over him right now.

Kumble rejects Vengsarkar’s gym comment

A newspaper report quoting Dilip Vengsarkar as saying too much time in the gym is the reason behind the spate of injuries India are having to deal with has not left Anil Kumble impressed. Kumble invited Vengsarkar to have a chat with the support staff rather than make an uninformed assessment, and also pointed out that some of the injuries have come through impact of the hard cricket ball.
“The fitness parameters of the current Indian team is the best that it has ever been,” Kumble said. “I have played in the ’90s where fitness and strength conditioning was a personal choice and not a team choice. In the 2000s, the culture changed and you could see the difference. Now it is part and parcel of modern cricket. I am sure it is a personal opinion but as a coach, and also the current Indian coaching staff and the strength and conditioning coach, plus the physio, we are happy to sit and clarify because Dilip is someone whom we really respect and he also holds a very responsible position as the director of the National Cricket Academy.
“The injuries that we had are hamstring injuries, which are very common in any sport, not only cricket. Unfortunately, Hardik [Pandya] got injured in the nets when he got hit by a ball. Rahul got hit fielding at short leg, Vijay got hit when he was batting and so did Shikhar [Dhawan]. It is something that we have got to live with.”

India’s coach Anil Kumble addressed a press conference before the start of their training session at Wankhede Stadium, but he was confident about Rahul’s fitness. “I am sure Rahul will have a hit today and will be fine, let’s see how it goes,” Kumble said.Kumble did speak about managing Shami’s workload, though. “Workload is something that we monitor, especially Shami, because he came back after 18 months after being away from the game,” Kumble said. “It is not easy for any cricketer so that is something we are constantly monitoring. It is quite a challenge when you only have a three-to-four day gap between Test matches. And this series has gone till the last day so it is important that these guys are given enough breaks”Credit to the way Shami and Umesh [Yadav] have bowled, not just with the new ball but also the way they have been able to come back and bowl in the last hour of the day. Coming back in the third spell or probably sometimes the fourth spell, and rattling the batsmen and picking up wickets is something I am pleased about.”If Shami is indeed rested, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took a five-for in his last Test, is not a bad replacement to be waiting in the wings. “It is not just the two of them [Shami and Umesh] but Bhuvi, Ishant [Sharma], all of them have contributed significantly,” Kumble said. “To have someone like Bhuvi and Ishant sitting out is a credit to the way Umesh and Shami have bowled.”Ishant won’t be available for this Test because he is getting married on December 9. A sign of India’s confidence in Shami’s fitness could be that they have not asked for a replacement for Ishant. In Mohali, India had four quicks in the squad because Shami was not a certain starter.The one compromise India will have to make is to go in without the first-choice wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, but his replacement Parthiv Patel more than made up for Saha’s absence, especially by volunteering to open when Rahul aggravated his injury from Visakhapatnam. Kumble was all praise for his wicketkeeper for the Mumbai Test.”He came in as a 16 or 17-year-old and now – when he still looks 16 without the beard – he has showed a lot of maturity,” Kumble said. “He saved the [Trent Bridge] Test match for India. It certainly shows that if you are really putting in the hard yards in domestic cricket, never losing your faith and believing that you can come back into the Indian team, then it is possible.”I was really pleased that he could walk into the match and not just keep wicket and bat at six or seven but when he was asked to open, he put his hand up and did that really well. That goes to show not just the individual but the character of the player and to say – team comes above self. He was not worried about failing. When you are coming into the team, making a comeback after eight years, you always want to do well for yourself but here was Parthiv who was willing to put his hand up and said ‘I don’t mind opening’. And he did that really well.”If all goes to plan, India are set to make just the one change to the side that won in Mohali: Rahul coming in, Parthiv dropping down in the order, and Karun Nair being asked to wait for a longer run. India should continue with five bowlers because the pitch at Wankhede Stadium didn’t look exceptionally dry although it is expected to turn eventually, as Indian pitches are.

Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin will join Australia’s coaching staff for the Chappell-Hadlee Series in New Zealand early next year, with batting coach Graeme Hick and bowling coach David Saker instead flying to India ahead of time to prepare for Australia’s four-Test tour.Australia play three ODIs in New Zealand from January 30 to February 5, and the first Test against India begins in Pune on February 23. Head coach Darren Lehmann will be with the one-day squad in New Zealand but Hick and Saker will be part of an advance party to India with their focus on the longer form of the game.Harris, who retired on the eve of the 2015 Ashes series, will serve as bowling coach, having previously performed that function during this year’s one-day tour of South Africa. Haddin, whose official retirement was announced in September last year, will serve as a fielding mentor during the New Zealand trip, having also coached during this winter’s Australia A series.”It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to have ex-players of the calibre of Brad and Ryan on board for this tour and continue their involvement in Australian cricket,” Lehmann said. “Both these guys have worked hard on their coaching since leaving the game and thoroughly deserve their opportunityHaddin said: “It is going to be great to be back in Australian colours again, albeit as part of the coaching group . I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Australia A in Townsville recently and am grateful that coaching has given me the opportunity to remain involved in cricket.Harris said: “South Africa was a great learning experience for me and it was fantastic to be back with the team again. Coaching is something I really enjoy and to be able to continue to be involved with the Australian team is something I can’t wait to be a part of again.”

It will come a year later than anticipated, but Zafar Ansari looks set to make his Test debut in the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday.But for a badly-broken left thumb, Ansari would almost certainly have played his maiden Test in the UAE 12 months ago. But, just hours after he was picked for the tour, he sustained the injury in the field, and was subsequently obliged to undergo two operations. Samit Patel was recalled, instead, and he played the Sharjah Test.While Ansari enjoyed a decent rather than spectacular season for Surrey in the County Championship – he averaged 27.43 with the bat and claimed 22 wickets at 31.40 – the England management admires his calm temperament almost as much as his all-round abilities. While they were reluctant to thrust Jack Leach, the Somerset spinner, who enjoyed a more remarkable season – he claimed 68 wickets in the first-class season at an average of 22.58 – into international cricket, they seem to have no qualms about Ansari.The case of Simon Kerrigan continues to influence selectors in such cases. Kerrigan, drafted in for his debut in the final Ashes Test of the 2013 summer, was mauled by Australia’s batsmen, and appears to have never fully recovered from the experience. Even Leach’s captain at Somerset, Chris Rogers, remarked that “emotionally, he still has a bit of a way to go” before he would consider him suitable for selection. He will instead be given an opportunity to familiarise himself with the England environment as part of the Lions programme.Ansari, though slightly younger, is seen as more worldly and experienced. He gained a first from Cambridge University, and, having graduated through the England age-group system – he played for England at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels – made his international debut in the rain-ruined ODI in Ireland in May 2015. He bowls at a relatively sharp pace, and, as a left-arm spinner whose turn will take the ball away from the right-handers, could prove more useful than a second spinner when England face an Indian top-order heavily stocked with right-handers.Ansari fits the mould of this team, too, in that he can bat, bowl and field to a decent standard. Generally patient and compact in red-ball cricket, he has opened the batting for Surrey. But, after a modest County season – his highest score was 53 – it seems Ansari will bat at No. 8 for England. That will move Chris Woakes to No. 9, and Adil Rashid, a man with 10 first-class centuries, down to No. 10. It seems Gareth Batty will be the unfortunate one to make way.There might have been a good case for resting Rashid instead. The pitch looks remarkably dry and cracked already, and, while the weather forecast for Dhaka is not wonderful – the city is braced for cyclonic storm Kyant – it seems likely that Bangladesh may take a bit of a risk in preparing a result-surface in the hope that they can square the series. On such turning surfaces, the control of Batty might prove more useful than the turn of Rashid, though Rashid did look as though he would benefit from anther long bowl ahead of the India series.England are also set to recall Steven Finn. He has been bowling with good pace in the nets and will probably replace Stuart Broad, who will have to wait until the India Tests before gaining his 100th Test cap. While there will be a temptation to give Jake Ball a game and rest Chris Woakes, the team management may be wary of making too many changes against an improving Bangladesh side that went within an ace of achieving their first Test victory against England in Chittagong.That means little opportunity for Jos Buttler. While he continues to hit the ball well in the nets – as one of the local net bowlers discovered on Wednesday when he received a black eye after being unable to get out of the way of a straight drive – Jonny Bairstow took another step towards cementing his place with the gloves with an impressive performance standing up to the stumps in Chittagong. And Trevor Bayliss has already indicated that he is keen to stick with the top-six in the batting line-up for the Dhaka Test.

India’s coach Anil Kumble has once again thrown his weight firmly behind Cheteshwar Pujara. Speaking strongly two days after Virat Kohli had verified former selector Sandeep Patil’s revelation that the team management had spoken to Pujara about his strike rate, Kumble said strike rate was relevant for bowlers in Test cricket, not batsmen. He went to the extent of saying he was satisfied with Pujara’s performance in the West Indies even though he was dropped for Rohit Sharma in the third Test.On slow pitches against a pretty defensive West Indies attack and field-sets Pujara scored 16 off 67 in Antigua and was run-out for 46 off 159 balls in Kingston before he was dropped. A top-order collapse resulted in his return to the side for the fourth Test, and India have played both Pujara and Rohit in the two Tests since then.”Even I’m a bit old-fashioned,” Kumble said when a journalist asked him about strike rates in Tests. “I know there is a lot of strike rate in the last eight years after the advent of T20. As far as I was playing, in Test cricket strike rates were mostly talked about for bowlers and not for batsmen. That’s how I like to look at it. In a team you need different characters, different quality players. Players whose skill sets are suited to different challenges that happen in a Test match. Because we’ve seen that that’s what happens in a Test match. That’s the beauty about Test cricket. From my point of view, as far as I am concerned, strike rates are relevant only for bowlers in Test matches.”Kumble complimented Pujara for seeing out a tough period of play in the first session of the series in the West Indies after Shannon Gabriel had removed M Vijay early with a bouncer that also injured his hand. By the time Pujara got out in the 28th over, the sting had been taken out of a limited West Indies attack.”I think you need to bat based on situations,” Kumble said. “Yes, Virat is right that someone like Pujara in the West Indies, probably on one occasion…and he only played two innings. And both those innings were relevant. Even in the first Test match, Vijay got out cheaply and then he and Shikhar [Dhawan] had a good partnership till lunch. That was crucial for the team, because we went into lunch losing only one wicket. And we all know the importance of the first session of a match that is the first Test of a series.”So the relevance of Pujara is extreme there. But I’m really surprised and a bit disappointed that this talk keeps coming up. As long as someone reads the situation and plays according to the situation, that’s what is expected of the team. And he is a very important cog in our team and in our plans. And he’s been successful and I know that he will continue to be successful.”Even in a different context Kumble continued to defend Pujara. With the inclusion of Gautam Gambhir in the Test squad as back-up opener, Kumble was asked if Pujara could breathe easy and not be asked to open in an emergency scenario. “I don’t think Pujara has ever breathed easily, from all you guys’ perspective and some people who are constantly watching him. At least from the team management and the team’s perspective, there is absolutely no pressure on Pujara.”And we’ve seen over the years his contribution. Even in the last Test match, we saw the importance of his contribution to the team’s cause. So I don’t see pressure on anyone in this team. The beauty about this squad is that there’s hardly any pressure on anyone, yes there is roles and responsibilities but there’s no pressure put on any player.”Even after coming back from the West Indies, where Pujara seemed under pressure to keep his place and lost it eventually, Kumble had reassured that Pujara was a vital part of the team. Since then, Pujara has scored a double-century and a century in Duleep Trophy, and two half-centuries on a difficult pitch in the Kanpur Test.

Mitchell Starc was to be rested, and is now injured. Josh Hazlewood is being rested. James Faulkner is injured. Nathan Coulter-Nile is injured. Pat Cummins and James Pattinson are recovering from long-term injuries. John Hastings and Scott Boland are, remarkably, the senior frontline fast bowlers, such is the dearth of experience in Australia’s one-day attack in South Africa.The squad has arrived for their tour of five ODIs against South Africa and one against Ireland, but the locals could be forgiven for wondering if this was an Australia A tour. The presence of Steven Smith, David Warner, George Bailey and Aaron Finch at least provides Australia with an experienced batting order, but when it comes their turn in the field, Smith’s men could hardly be greener.Hastings, with 33 ODI wickets, and Scott Boland, with nine, are the only specialist fast men in this squad who have so much as a one-day cap, although allrounder Mitchell Marsh will also feature in the attack. The rest of the pace group is made up of Victoria’s Chris Tremain and the South Australia pair of Daniel Worrall and Joe Mennie, all of whom will debut over the next few weeks.But Australia’s selectors and team management are already looking ahead to the first Test of their home summer in Perth, also against South Africa, which is just six weeks away, and keeping Hazlewood and Starc fresh was a priority – until Starc gashed his leg at training. Coach Darren Lehmann said the absences provided wonderful opportunities for new men to shine.”We do turnover a bit in our one-day set-up because you’ve got to give the Test players a break somewhere,” Lehmann told reporters in Johannesburg upon the squad’s arrival. “So we get our one-day players to chop and change a little bit. They handle it very well.”The great thing is it gives them a chance at this next level, so we’ve had someone like Travis Head come in and do really well for us, and the bowlers chop and change a bit. Steve knows he’s got a lot of depth of bowlers in this format.”We’ve done that since the World Cup final, you can really chop and change, and making sure we’re giving everyone enough game time looking ahead to major tournaments – we’ve got the Champions Trophy next year and then looking ahead to 2019 [World Cup]. We’re always looking ahead. The players adapt really well when we do that.”There’s obviously good reasons we don’t bring Starc and Hazlewood here. We’re playing you in a Test series and we want to give them a break. It’s a great challenge for our young guys … They’re good young players and they’ll go well.”Remarkably, Hastings is the only specialist bowler in Australia’s attack who had so much as made his ODI debut when this year began. Boland first appeared against India in January and legspinner Adam Zampa debuted in New Zealand in February. At least one of Worrall, Mennie and Tremain – and potentially all three – will debut in the opening ODI against Ireland in Benoni next Tuesday.”We’ve got some good young fast bowlers,” Lehmann said. “We’ll only know that at the end of a series against a quality side. We’re hoping they step up and I’m sure they will. They’ve got some pace, they swing the ball and we’ve got some variations.”We’ve also got some good quality there with Hastings who has played really well for us, Boland did well last series [in Sri Lanka] and then you’ve got the three debutants who will play at some stage during the tournament.”