Green primed for return in Aussie boost for series decider

Cameron Green is prepared to sacrifice the middle-order spot that unlocked his Test breakthrough two months ago with the towering right-hander set to strengthen Australia's bid to topple the format's champions on their home turf.

A scintillating training net at the revamped Newlands precinct, where Green looked back to his imposing best with a series of crisp blows against Nathan Lyon and Michael Neser, underlined his readiness for the series decider against South Africa.

While he is not yet right to bowl due to his uncommon torso injury, the 27-year-old will resume the same specialist-batting role he played upon his return from back surgery during last year's World Test Championship final defeat to the Proteas and ensuing Caribbean tour.

Green's challenge now will be to draw on his Top End success against Bangladesh while remaining short of full fitness, potentially away from the No.5 spot he looked to have made his own before the injury.

A return of course remains firmly on the cards, though Matthew Renshaw has his own claims on the five position after his dominant Durban Test filling in for Green. The pair shared a net during Australia's optional session in sparkling weather on Saturday.

"I've had a lot of experience up and down the order," said Green, who thrived at five against Bangladesh after a period of being shunted between positions. "I think I'm well suited at four and five.

"But obviously we've had some pretty incredible cricketers in those positions. So I'm very happy to move up and down the order depending on what the team wants."

Facing Australia's reserve bowlers away from the heat of battle is a far cry from what Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen will throw at him in Cape Town's high-stakes contest from Tuesday. But Green could hardly have looked better.

So rare was the ailment he picked up in the third ODI against South Africa that medical staff had been forced to look at examples of similar injuries from other sports.

The allrounder was batting against Corbin Bosch when he copped a stray beamer to the gut, leaving him flat on the Potchefstroom pitch for some time. He recovered to hit Bosch's follow-up delivery for six, before tearing his abdominal muscle trying to repeat the stroke the ball after that.

Returning less than a month later puts him in somewhat uncharted territory. With his bowling off the table for now, his ability to throw also remains questionable having dealt with a nagging right shoulder issue over the past few months.  

That will be less of a concern if he takes up his regular place in the gully or slips cordon.

"Pretty surprised with how quick it's actually healed, or how functional I feel only a few weeks after," Green said of his abdominal issue.

"It was really bizarre. I think there's definitely a pretty clear link between getting hit and then doing the injury. I think it's too much of a coincidence for them not to be related.

"Basically I got hit where you don't want to get hit and then two balls later, I went to go play a shot just behind the wicket – obviously had to lengthen my muscle, and I think my muscle was pretty keen to not move at that stage after I got hit.

"It's quite a unique injury. There are not many people that have done the injury and then tried to play a few weeks later. The (medical staff) didn't have much to go off … (but) it's all good to go for the last game."

Against Bangladesh, Green reaped the benefits of reverting to a more measured batting method, ditching the early-innings aggression he had taken up during last summer's Ashes in a bid to overcome early jitters.

He emerged from the winter campaign as Australia's leading bat after peeling off his first home Test ton in Darwin before an equally composed 67 in a low-scoring two-day victory in Mackay.

Having failed to pass fifty in eight innings against England last summer, the right-hander's Sheffield Shield hundred between the end of the T20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League proved pivotal.

"It was something I mentioned to 'Ron' (coach Andrew McDonald) and Patty (Cummins) probably before the Darwin game," he said. "I felt like I'd found a way that I like to play the game, and that probably hadn't been there for the past few years.

"I've tried to change my game to adapt to international cricket, or the best way that I saw fit. I probably just went away from how I play the game naturally.

"Certainly, up in Mackay and Darwin were huge positives in how I wanted to play the game. There were probably learnings I took from the last Shield game I played … it felt pretty natural to me. They're certainly learnings of how I went about it in those games that hopefully I can take forward."

As it stands, at least one of Renshaw, Green and fellow injury returnee Josh Inglis may need to bat in the top three if selectors make a move on Nic Maddinson or Marnus Labuschagne. Beau Webster's spot will also come under review, with Inglis or Cooper Connolly alternatives to bat at No.7.

Green looked to be growing into the No.3 spot during last year's Tests against West Indies on fiendish surfaces. That's also where he batted during the WTC final at Lord's, where he got a taste of the Proteas' fearsome new-ball combination of Rabada and Jansen.

"They're obviously at the very top of their game at the moment," said Green, who prepared for Jansen by spending a large chunk of his training net facing James Franklin's left-arm pace throwdowns and discussing tactics with the former New Zealand allrounder.

"They're probably (among) the top few bowlers in the world. You always love those challenges. You want to step up against those guys and show what you can do.

"(Batting at three in the WTC final) was a tough experience for sure. Pretty unique that you're playing South Africa with the Dukes ball in England. I think there's a lot of good learnings, a lot of tough learnings.

"Obviously they're such a quality bowling line-up that you've got to be on your game at all times to succeed against them, regardless of where you bat. But certainly up the top of the order is incredibly difficult – their opening bowlers are so great with the new ball, you've got to work really hard, especially at the start."

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

All matches to be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

First Test: Australia won by 214 runs

Second Test: South Africa won by an innings and 31 runs

Third Test: October 27-31, Newlands, Cape Town, 7:30pm AEDT (10:30am local)

South Africa squad for second Test: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (second Test onwards), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster