Australia return to South Africa for first Test series since 2018 scandal

New Delhi: For the first time since that infamous incident shook Australian cricket and the world of cricket on a broader scale, Australia return to South Africa for a Test series.

Only six survivors from the 2018 series, which Australia lost 1-3, are still in the squad for the upcoming three-match series that starts on Friday in Durban. The famous pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, and their then-skipper and now stand-in captain Steve Smith are the five who played in that infamous Cape Town Test and are still with the team.

Renshaw is the sixth survivor from the series. Although he did not play in any of the first three Tests, he was sent an SOS call ahead of the fourth Test after the Aussies were rocked by the ball-tampering scandal during the third Test in Cape Town.

Coming into South Africa for the 2026 series, captain Cummins had warned his side of possible hostility from the crowd but also believed that people would have moved on. “There might be a little bit of hostility,” Cummins had said during the Keepin’ it Cricket podcast last month. “(But) it can’t be louder than an Ashes series in Birmingham, the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston, that gets pretty rowdy.”

However, he believed that the dust would have settled by now, as the focus would remain on cricket once the first ball is bowled. “It (Sandpapergate) was kind of really spoken up (in past series), and it was almost a bit underwhelming,” Cummins said about the reaction from Proteas fans.

“Everyone moves on. The good thing is, with three Tests, you get stuck into the cricket, and everyone just worries about the cricket pretty quickly. I’m sure there’ll be some rowdy people in the crowd, and some articles or some media bring up stuff. But our group’s moved on,” he added.

Like in 2018, Australia remain largely dependent on the above five regulars, although Nathan Lyon’s role has been limited of late. However, the pace trio and Smith still remain their lynchpins in 2026.

Renshaw is likely to open with Travis Head. Marnus Labuschagne might have done enough with a century in the warm-up to retain his No. 3 spot, while Smith remains at No. 4. The Aussies were hit by injury blows when Cameron Green and reserve wicketkeeper Josh Inglis were ruled out of the first Test.

The fast-bowling personnel is likely to be the same, with Scott Boland set to sit out again, while the Aussies are likely to go with Lyon ahead of Matthew Kuhnemann. Alternatively, they could play both if the Durban surface dries out quickly.

For South Africa, five players from that 2018 series are still playing. Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada remain part of the South Africa squad.

Rabada’s availability remains uncertain as he is recovering from a hamstring injury, and a call on his availability will be made as late as possible.

The series promises to be a gripping one, with tempers likely to flare between the two camps and fans eager to make their voices heard.