Fresh from a thumping 2-0 series victory over the West Indies, Australia are favourites to reach the World Test Championship final, a series clean-sweep against South Africa would make their place in the final almost a certainty. Australia declared in each of the four innings they batted against the West Indies, with Marnus Labuschagne starring with the bat once again on home soil, scoring three hundreds including a double, in Perth. Travis Head and Steve Smith also scored centuries, Nathan Lyon the highest wicket-taker in the series with 12.

There were some concerns for Australia over the fitness of their bowling attack. Captain Pat Cummins missed the second match of the series with a quad strain, while Josh Hazlewood has already been ruled out of the first Test against South Africa with a side strain. Scott Boland, who took three wickets in one over against the West Indies in Adelaide, looks set to retain his spot in Hazlewood’s place, as is Michael Neser, who had replaced Hazlewood.

Dean Elgar will lead the South Africa side and looks in good touch after his century in their warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI. Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso rabada are the only other players in the South Africa squad to have played Test cricket before in Australia. The last time the two sides met was on South African soil in 2018 for the infamous ‘sandpaper-gate’ series.

Australia v South Africa 2022/23 squad: Full team lists for AUS vs SA

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cam Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.

South Africa: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo, Glenton Stuurman.