Australia vs South Africa Live Score, ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Delayed start possible due to rain in Rawalpindi

Australia vs South Africa Live Score, ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Australia made light work of a record chase in their tournament opener.

Both sides thus put behind them the shaky form they were in leading up to this tournament. They were also hurt by injuries to key pacers, although South Africa were slightly better off in that department. They may be without Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee but their spearhead Kagiso Rabada is firing on all cylinders. Australia, on the other hand, are without Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

However, anybody who saw what the world champions did to England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore would tell you that they have not left their big tournament pedigree at home. Moreover, Rawalpindi is expected to provide a batting-friendly pitch once again, which means that it could be yet another high-scoring thriller for Australia to deal with. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma made it clear that no team from Down Under can be taken lightly in a big tournament and the Proteas are not going to make that mistake either.

“I mean, any Australian outfit that comes together for an ICC event is always one that you don’t take lightly. Yes, they don’t have, I guess, their mainstay bowling attack, but I think they still have enough to be successful as a team, like you mentioned with their batting. Maybe it could be a case of their batters maybe doing a little bit more than what they’re accustomed to,” Bavuma said in the pre-match press conference.

Full squads of both sides:

Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka.

Head-to-head records:

These two sides have played 110 ODIs against each other over the years and there is almost nothing to separate them. South Africa lead the head-to-head stats 55-51, with one match producing no result and a whopping three tied matches. Quite incredibly, despite this fixture giving us some of the most iconic images in ODI cricket over the years, it is the first time South Africa and Australia are facing each other in the Champions Trophy.