The highly anticipated ODI series Australia vs. South Africa 2025 kicks off on Tuesday, August 19th, at the iconic Cazaly's Stadium, Cairns. Australia is coming off a 2-1 T20I win (which makes up for their previous T20I/IJ a long time ago), and South Africa comes off a disappointing exit from the semifinals of the Champions Trophy earlier this year. The first ODI will be an intriguing clash of two of cricket's most historic rivals.
Match Details
Total ODIs played: 110
Australia won: 51
South Africa won: 55
No result: 1
Tied: 3
South Africa slightly edges the overall head-to-head, but Australia has also been strong at home historically. Here is where it gets interesting, though:
South Africa has won the last four bilateral ODI series between the two teams, including their last tour of Australia. So, the Proteas seem to have come up with a plan against the Aussies, making this opening match that little bit more important for Mitchell Marsh's men.
Australia Preview: A New Beginning without Smith and Maxwell
Australia's ODI journey is now on another level, as following their semifinal exit to India in the Champions Trophy 2025, key personnel Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell retired from the 50-over format, which gives opportunity for new players to come into the squad and for Mitchell Marsh to captain a transitional team.
Main Strengths
Top Order Firepower: Travis Head and Marsh will both be able to set the tempo to allow and give Marnus Labuschagne the opportunity to play the anchoring role in the middle order.
All-Rounders: Cameron Green adds good batting depth and also offers the bowling group another option. Aaron Hardie gives similar value.
Bowling Variability: Josh Hazlewood is the leader of the pace group, with Nathan Ellis and Xavier Bartlett partnering with Hazlewood. Adam Zampa is their lead spin option.
Predicted Playing XI:
Travis Head
Mitchell Marsh (C)
Marnus Labuschagne
Josh Inglis (WK)
Alex Carey
Cameron Green
Aaron Hardie
Xavier Bartlett
Nathan Ellis
Adam Zampa
Josh Hazlewood
South Africa Preview: Youth Meets Power
Despite losing the T20I series, South Africa comes into this series with a lot of momentum, with Dewald Brevis ensuring he has a bright future with two performances that included a hundred and an attacking fifty. He will be making his ODI debut and will show fearless intent with the bat, which could make things difficult for Australia's attack.
Key Strengths
Exciting New Blood: Brevis, Stubbs, and Breetzke will add sparkle with stars like Bavuma and Markram to steer the ship along the way.
Pace Power: With Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger, and Lungi Ngidi, South Africa will have one of the most potent pace trios in world cricket.
Spin Control: Keshav Maharaj's control in the middle overs will be essential.
Predicted Playing XI:
Temba Bavuma (C)
Ryan Rickelton (WK)
Matthew Breetzke
Aiden Markram
Dewald Brevis
Tristan Stubbs
Wiaan Mulder
Keshav Maharaj
Nandre Burger
Kagiso Rabada
Lungi Ngidi
Pitch Report: Cazaly's Stadium, Cairns
Cazaly's Stadium is one of Australia's more unique ODI venues. Known for its hard, bouncy surface, it provides something for everyone:
Early Movement: Seamers are able to get assistance with the new ball.
Batting Friendly: Once the batters are set, they enjoy true bounces that offer value for shots.
Dew factor: After lights have come on, it becomes easier to chase as the ball skids onto their bat.
Average first innings score: 189 (only 5 ODIs played here so far)
Highest Score: 267/5 (Australia vs. New Zealand, 2022)
Chasing record: 3 out of 5 ODIs won by sides batting 2nd
Weather in Cairns
Temperature: 26-30 degrees Celsius
Conditions: humid, partly cloudy
Rain Threat: minimal (1% chance)
Dew: expected, making it harder to bowl second
Expect a competitive par score around 280-300 score-wise.
Key Players to Watch
Australia
Travis Head: Aggressive opener who can take the game away within the powerplay.
Cameron Green: An all-rounder who can finish the innings and collect crucial wickets.
Josh Hazlewood: Experienced pacer who loves Australian surfaces
South Africa
Dewald Brevis: The “Baby AB” on ODI debut – explosive bat.
Aiden Markram: Anchor and experienced campaigner at the top of the order.
Kagiso Rabada: In form with 11 wickets in the last 5 ODIs, he is still the "go-to bowler" for the Proteas.
Australia vs. South Africa: Head-to-Head Insights
In the last 10 ODIs, South Africa leads 7-3.
In the most recent series in Australia, South Africa won 2-1.
In the knockout, both sides went out in the semifinals of the Champions Trophy 2025.
Takeaway: You have to take into account the weight of Oz's home advantage, but South Africa's ODI dominance recently should instill confidence.
Match Scenarios & Predictions
Case 1: Australia bats first.
Predicted score 310–320
Result: Australia wins by 20-30 runs.
Case 2: South Africa bats first.
Predicted score: 280-290
Result: Australia wins by 4 wickets
Toss prediction
Tossing the coin in Cairns can be a toss-up (please excuse the pun) with the dew factor hard to predict. It is fair to assume both captains will prefer to chase if they win the toss!
Betting and Predictions
The latest market positions are below:
Australia: (68% win probability)
South Africa: (32% win probability)
Top Batter Bets
Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green
South Africa: Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis
Top Bowler Bets
Australia: Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
South Africa: Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Probable Best Performers
Best Batter: Travis Head (Australia)
Best Bowler: Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
Current Betting Odds from Stake.com
Final Match Prediction: Who will win AUS vs SA 1st ODI?
Both teams enter this contest with something to prove. South Africa has the psychological edge from recent ODI series wins, but with Australia's dominance at home ground and bench depth in squad players, Australia will be the favorite in Cairns.
- Win Prediction: Australia to win the 1st ODI
- Confidence Level: 66–70%
Conclusion
The Australia vs. South Africa 1st ODI 2025 is inevitably more than simply the start of a series and it is a battle of pride, power, and pedigree. While exciting new South African talents emerging through the squad like Dewald Brevis make them a dangerous side, Australia offers a mix of experience in numbers with the psychological edge of their home ground, which should see them just edge this contest.
Our Pick: Australia to win and take the early lead in the series.
