The teams travel to the capital to clash in the third ODI of the five-match series at the Manuka Oval on Wednesday.

Both sides experienced a good win and a performance they would like to forget in Perth to leave the series all square. The conditions in Canberra will be slower than at the WACA and both sets of top order batsmen will welcome a break from fending off sharply rising deliveries.

The South African openers will be the most pleased as Mitchell Johnson has been rested for the remainder of the series. His absence will allow Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla, who both struggled to come to terms with his pace and aggression in Perth, to play with more freedom during the power play and set a solid platform for the likes of David Miller and AB de Villiers to launch an assault at the death.

The only other possible change is that Australia may go into the match with a specialist spinner. Xavier Doherty has been brought into the squad and his accurate left-arm orthodox could be valuable in the sluggish conditions.

Players to Watch:

Mitchell Marsh briefly showed at the end of Australia’s innings in the second ODI what he is capable of. He deposited Dale Steyn into the crowd with ease and if his top order can lay a foundation then he could take the match away from the Proteas. For South Africa, David Miller has been striking the ball sweetly during his first visit to Australia. He seems to be enjoying the conditions and will be keen to make a statement in this format.

Prediction:

These teams have been very unpredictable when they play each other and are evenly matched when they both realise their potential. The absence of Johnson gives the Proteas an edge, though, and I think they will make the most of it.

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