Proteas set for Rabada boost as Bavuma looks for response

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has revealed pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada is likely to feature in the second ICC World Test Championship fixture against Australia that commences on Sunday.

Rabada hasn't played any cricket since he featured for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League in May, with the pacer sitting out the opening Test of the series against Australia as he continues to recover from the hamstring injury he picked up in training.

But Rabada is closing in on a return to competitive action, with Bavuma suggesting the 31-year-old was progressing well and in line for a recall to the Proteas' lineup for the crucial second Test in Gqeberha.

"KG (Rabada) looks good," Bavuma said after South Africa's 214-run loss to Australia in the first Test in Durban.

"I think SuperSport (South African broadcaster) kept showing him on the big screen bowling (during breaks in play).

"He's bubbly as ever within the changing room. And his non-selection was more from a precautionary point of view to give him the extra couple of days.

"So now he's got the extra couple of days. We'll see how he continues to improve. But KG is very good."

If Rabada does return for the second Test then it is likely fellow pacer Anrich Nortje will be the one to make way after he made a successful return to Test cricket in Durban, while a host of his teammates could face competition for their place in the side following some indifferent form against the Aussies.

Opener Ryan Rickelton failed to reach double figures from his two knocks at Kingsmead, attacking batter Tristan Stubbs failed to flatter, while keeper Kyle Verreynne was also out cheaply in both innings as Australia cruised to an easy victory.

Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch and Dane Paterson are among the other pace bowling options the Proteas may consider for the second Test, while uncapped batter Marques Ackermann and bowling all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy were other members of the squad that didn't feature in Durban that may also come under contention.

But Bavuma suggested the need for bulk changes, with the South Africa skipper indicating he would likely stick with the bulk of the team that featured in the first Test and back them to be ready to perform better when the series moves south to Gqeberha.

"The guys that you saw who took the field are guys that we have full confidence in," Bavuma said.

"Going forward, there's going to be conversations that need to happen. Guys understand that's just how professional, high-level sport goes. If you're not delivering the goods and if there is someone else who's waiting in the wings, they'll get that opportunity.

"It is disappointing. It's not the way you want to start a series, any kind of series, let alone just against a top outfit like Australia.

"The emotions are obviously still a little bit high. You probably want that to settle before you get into the conversations but there are obvious things that we could definitely improve on. No one is happy in that change-room, looking at the result that has played out."

Meanwhile, Australia captain Pat Cummins has indicated there may be changes to his side's XI for the second ICC World Test Championship fixture against South Africa.

The side look set to be boosted by the inclusion of star all-rounder Cameron Green who missed the first Test with an abdominal problem, while Cummins suggested conditions at St George's Park will determine the make-up of his XI and the batting order as the team strives for a series-clinching victory.

Cummins indicated it would be unlikely for in-form batter Matthew Renshaw to move away from his spot at No 5 in the batting order following his Player of the Match performance in Durban, but the skipper also urged the need for his side to be flexible within games depending on the conditions of the pitch and the context of the match.

"Give us a few days, we'll look at the conditions of the next Test," Cummins said after the victory in the first Test.

"I mean, it's got to be pretty compelling to move him (Renshaw) from there (No 5)

"But we've seen Travis Head down at No 5 as well. We're always working out the six batters, or seven plus (Alex Carey) and how is that going to function as a whole? So, if anything, I still think he (Renshaw) can be a great opener, and now he's got another string to his bow that he's found this week.

"We're pretty certain that we like Marn (Marnus Labuschagne) at No 3, Smithy (Steve Smith) at N .4 and then, the six and seven felt pretty locked up. I think bringing in Maddo (Nic Maddinson), we really like the idea of bringing that flexibility, that unlocks a lot (such as) Trav back to No 5, Renners down to No 5, even Maddo himself at five. We haven't had that option (over) the last few years where we feel like we've got plenty of options at the top.

"We're very big on that flexibility. I know you're probably sick of us talking about it but, why not next week, have different openers if the conditions take us somewhere different, or swapping out the batting orders between innings. I think having the structure that we do now with a few guys that can open, that's really unlocked that."

Cummins singled out Renshaw for his performance with the bat in the first Test, while the Australia skipper also paid tribute to fellow quick Josh Hazlewood after the seamer collected career-best figures of 6/49 in South Africa's second innings to help bowl the side to victory.

While the win helped the Aussies maintain their position on top of the World Test Championship standings, the side still needs to maintain their good form away from home with two more Tests remaining against the Proteas and then a five-match battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with India at the start of next year that will help determine who reaches the one-off Test at The Oval in 2027.

"Overseas, it's always tough," Cummins noted with reference to the conditions teams faced in Durban.

"You never quite know what you're going to get (in the) first Test ... the position we were on day one, six down, (it) felt well behind where we wanted to be. Then, mainly through Renshaw, clawing our way back ... and then once we had the lead not giving it back.

"Sometimes when we have got that far in front, I feel like we haven't been as ruthless as we could but I think our standards were very high for the last three or four days. It's very satisfying."

Australia's massive victory over South Africa in the first Test in Durban has seen a host of their best performers make big gains on the latest ICC Men's Test Player Rankings.

Renshaw compiled a superb knock of 190 in the first innings and followed it up with a decent hand of 82 in the second dig to help put the Aussies in a dominant position and it saw the left-hander rise from outside the top 100 on the rankings for Test batters up into equal 49th position overall.

Teammate and former No 1 ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne (up four places to 34th) also made ground on the rankings for Test batters, while South Africa opener Markram rose four slots to move into equal 10th position on this list.

Australia seamer Hazlewood did the damage on the final day by collecting career-best figures of 6/49 and it saw the experienced right-armer move up two spots to seventh overall on the list for Test bowlers that is still led by teammate Mitchell Starc.

Starc had his lead at the top reduced to just four rating points on New Zealand pacer Matt Henry despite three wickets in that Durban Test, while South Africa will be buoyed by the successful return of Nortje as he re-enters the rankings for Test bowlers in 34th position following his first red-ball contest in more than three years.

India veteran Ravindra Jadeja remains well out in front of the rankings for Test all-rounders, though South Africa duo Wiaan Mulder (up one slot to fourth) and Simon Harmer (up five rungs to equal 23rd) do make some ground after some decent efforts against the Aussies.

There is further movement on the Test charts following the thrilling finish in the one-off Test between Afghanistan and Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi that ended in a draw, with Rahmat Shah (up 13 places to 13th) and Litton Das (up three rungs to equal 29th) making ground on the batting charts and hat-trick hero Hasan Mahmud (up seven slots to 38th) rewarded for his five-wicket spell in that match.

There is also plenty of movement on the latest T20I rankings, with India captain Shreyas Iyer reaching a new career-high position on the list for T20I batters as he improves three spots to fourth overall following his blistering start to the five-game series against the West Indies at home.

Iyer smashed his maiden T20I century during the series opener in Lucknow and his rise to fourth now means India have four players inside the top quartet on the rankings for T20I batters, with Ishan Kishan (first), Abhishek Sharma (second) now joined by their more experienced teammate with Sahibzada Farhan sandwiching the trio in third place after the Pakistan skipper reached a career-best rating following an impressive display against Sri Lanka.

Other players to make gains on the rankings for T20I batters include Kusal Mendis (up three places to 23rd), Sherfane Rutherford (up 13 slots to equal 24th) and Sanju Samson (up four rungs to equal 27th), while Pakistan youngster Maaz Sadaqat rises the same list from outside the top 100 to 45th following some decent efforts across the three-game series with Sri Lanka.

West Indies Test skipper Roston Chase makes gains on the rankings for T20I bowlers (up 24 places to 23rd) and T20I all-rounders (up two slots to third) following some excellent performances against India, while Pakistan duo Salman Mirza (up nine rungs to 14th) and Saim Ayub (up eight places to 54th) make progress on the list for T20I bowlers.