'Great tussles': Aussies to rekindle rivalry with Proteas

Australia will carry momentum from the winning end to their campaign in India into the next stage of their World Cup preparations, as they seek to further refine their T20 game in their three upcoming games against South Africa.

The Aussies are back on home soil after a month in Mumbai and eager to continue testing the limits of their strong batting line-up when the series kicks off at Manuka Oval on Saturday.

The matches are an ideal chance to gain a marker of their progress against the Proteas, who they defeated in last year’s T20 World Cup final, before the next edition of the ICC tournament in Bangladesh later this year.

Australia changed the balance of their XI for the series in India, bringing batting allrounder Grace Harris back into the mix at No.7 at the expense of a frontline bowler.

It was an aggressive move aimed at squeezing as much batting firepower into the side as possible, but Australia did not get much of an opportunity to flex their muscle during the games at DY Patil Stadium.

After a heavy defeat batting first in the opening game, they bounced back to win the series with two relatively straightforward chases.

"I think really pleasingly we're starting to nail down exactly what that looks like for us," allrounder Ellyse Perry said of Australia’s ideal approach to T20 batting.

"That's broadly speaking for the team but also for every individual within the batting line-up.

"Someone like (Phoebe Litchfield) had a phenomenal series over in India both in the one-dayers and the T20s.

"But I think everyone took some really great strides forward and it's a great chance again to start the series with T20 to just look at continuing to expand that."

The Australian squad arrived in Canberra on Wednesday evening and had their first hit-out on Thursday.

Captain Alyssa Healy was restricted to light duties and mostly played the role of observer during the three-hour session due to illness, but Perry said she expected the opener and wicketkeeper to be right by Saturday morning.

"She was just feeling a bit crook today," Perry said.

"She's cleared of COVID and didn't test positive to that, but she probably just needs a day or so to take it easy, and as far as I know she should be available for Saturday."

This will be the first time Australia and South Africa have played in T20s outside of World Cups.

It will also be the first bilateral series between the teams in any format since they met in five one-dayers in 2016, after Australia’s planned white-ball tour of South Africa in March 2020 was cancelled as the world shut down at the start of the COVID pandemic.

But the sides have met in two thrilling World Cup eliminators in recent years.

Their 2020 T20 World Cup semi-final, a rain-affected affair at the SCG, saw Australia edge home by five runs, while the Aussies also held off a late charge from the hosts in the 2023 final in Cape Town to seal a 19-run win.

"It's nice to play them again," Perry said of the long overdue tour.

"They're a wonderful team.

"They've got some seriously world class players in that group and they've been competitive for a long period of time.

"We've had some great tussles against them, none more so than that World Cup final so it's nice to host them here in Australia and looking forward to the challenge."

Women's CommBank T20I Series v South Africa

January 27: First T20, Manuka Oval, Canberra 10.45am

January 28: Second T20, Manuka Oval, Canberra 10.45am

January 30: Third T20, Blundstone Arena, Hobart 7.05pm

Women's CommBank ODI Series v South Africa

February 3: First ODI, Adelaide Oval, 2.10pm

February 7: Second ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm

February 10: Third ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris*, Jess Jonassen, Alana King**, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham *T20s only | **ODIs only

South Africa squad (T20Is & ODIs): Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker

Women's CommBank Test Match v South Africa

February 15-18: Only Test, WACA Ground, Perth 11.00am