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After beating the West Indies, Australia is all set to take on South Africa. The first test gets underway on December 17, and it will be an interesting battle at the Gabba, Brisbane. Pacers from both teams will play an important role, especially in the early stages. 

Read this article till the end, and check out our cricket tips Australia vs South Africa, 1st Test, team news, and betting tips.

Cricket Tips Australia vs South Africa, 1st Test: Match Preview

Australia and South Africa are strong teams, and both of them will look to start the series with a win. South Africa did well in the warm-up match and will enter the first test with a positive mindset. 

However, taking on the Aussie pacers with the bat will be challenging, as they can be lethal, especially on such a track.

The hosts will also enter the test with confidence after a convincing 2-0 series win against West Indies. They were good with both bat and ball. 

The team has players like David Warner, who can score quick runs and get the team in a comfortable position. They also have Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Travis Head, who can absorb the pressure and build a partnership if the opponents get a couple of early wickets.

Team News

Australia

Josh Hazlewood will miss the first test, but Skipper Pat Cummins will likely be fit and make a comeback in the first test. The side looks balanced.

Probable X1

David Warner, Usman Khwaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (C), Michael Naser/Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, and Mitchell Starc.

South Africa

South Africa’s top order and bowling attack look strong. As of now, there are no major injury-related concerns. 

Probable X1

Dean Elgar (C), Sarel Erwee, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Theunis De Bruyn, Marco Jansen, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, and Lungi Ngidi.

Who Will Win: Australia vs South Africa, 1st Test?

Both teams can test the opposition in the longer format. The visitors will look to start the tour on a positive note, but taking on the in-form Aussies won’t be easy. 

Australia has a good record at the Gabba, and they will start as favourites. We are predicting a competitive test, with Australia getting a 1-0 lead in the series.

Odds

Australia will enter the match as favourites with odds of 1.5, and South Africa will start with odds of 5.0.

Prop Bets

Top batter/run-scorer- first innings (Australia)

Marnus Labuschagne had a few good outings in the recently concluded series against West Indies and became the player of the series. 

Labuschagne is a top-class player and becomes even more dangerous for the opposition in the home series. He will look to carry his form to the first test and is our top pick for this category.

Top batter/run-scorer- first innings (South Africa)

Skipper Dean Elgar has a decent average in test cricket and did well in the 4-day warm-up match. With a century in the first innings, he will enter the first test with a positive mindset. We expect him to lead the team from the front; he is our top pick for this category.

Top bowler/wicket-taker– first innings (Australia)

The pitch will have assistance for the pacers, and the Australian bowlers will look to get some early wickets to put the opposition under pressure. 

Mitchell Starc, one of the most experienced players in the squad, is our top pick for this category. He will look to cross the 300-wicket mark in the first test.

Top bowler/wicket-taker– first innings (South Africa)

Kagiso Rabada has been an important player for South Africa for a long time now. He can be lethal on such a track and test the batters on their home pitch. We expect him to do well in both innings; he is our top pick for this category.

Player to score a 50- first innings

Both sides have a strong batting line-up, and we expect some good knocks in the first innings. Steve Smith, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Dean Elgar, and Rassie Van Der Dussen are our top picks for this category. They all have the ability to convert on such a surface.

Player of the match

Marnus Labuschagne is a quality player who can deliver on any track, and he has been the standout player on many occasions, even in some low-scoring games. We expect him to be the player in the match in the first test.

Conclusion

This was all about cricket tips Australia vs South Africa, 1st Test. Both teams are looking strong before the first test, and it will be interesting to see how they perform at Gabba. 

South Africa has many match-winners in the team, but the Elgar-led team will have to face a strong batting and pace attack. We are backing the hosts to win the first test. 

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