Cape Town, Oct 26 (IANS) South Africa have confirmed their playing XI for the third and final Test of the series against Australia as Gerald Coetzee replaces the injured Anrich Nortje for the decider that begins on Tuesday at Newlands here.

Coetzee returns to the format for the first time after almost two years, having last played against Sri Lanka in Durban in November 2024.

He is the only change to the side that defeated the visitors by an innings and 31 runs in Gqeberha a few days ago, as Norjte was ruled out of the third match a couple of days ago with a groin injury he suffered in the second match.

The Proteas have gone with a four-pronged pace attack and Simon Harmer as the lone spinner, with Aiden Markram potentially on part-time duty, after he rolled his arm in both Test matches.

Last game's debutant Marques Ackerman will continue to open with Aiden Markram, while Ryan Rickelton will continue in the wicketkeeper's role after having been given the gloves in the previous game. Kyle Verreynne continues to sit out, as does Keshav Maharaj, both of whom were dropped for the second match.

The Proteas levelled the series 1-1 in Gqeberha after some heroic efforts from the likes of captain Temba Bavuma, Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer with the bat in the first innings.

From 110/6, the Proteas made 425/9d after Bavuma scored a career-best 179 and Jansen and Harmer made 85 and 82, respectively. The bowlers starred as Jansen picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings to dismiss the visitors for 99 and asked them to follow on.

Despite a hundred from Travis Head, South Africa did enough to bowl them out for 295 on the final day and win the match by an innings and 31 runs to level the series going into Cape Town.

--IANS

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