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Live Cricket Score Australia vs South Africa 2014, 5th ODI at Sydney: Aus win thriller by 2 wickets; win the series 4-1 and knock India off no.1 ODI rank

Follow live updates of the 5th ODI between Australia and South Africa at Sydney.

Aaron Finch led the Australian chase, bringing up his fifth ODI fifty in the process © Getty Images
Aaron Finch took the Australians off to a strong start with a knock of 76 off 67 deliveries © Getty Images

Nov 23, 2014

Catch the Live Scorecard of the 5th ODI between Australia (AUS) and South Africa (SA)

(With Australia winning the series 3-1, the teams  move to Sydney for the final encounter. Catch Live cricket scores and live update of the match here)

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Quinton de Kock has been adjudged the ‘Man-of-the-Match’ for his knock of 107 from 123 balls, while Steven Smith has been named the ‘Man-of-the-Series’ for scoring 254 runs at an average of 84.66. Australia have won the five-match ODI series 4-1, and have displaced India from the top-spot on the ODI rankings. This should only heat things up for India and Australia, with a four-match Test series to be played starting December 4. South Africa, in the meantime, have a lot to ponder, and will have to rectify their mistakes before the World Cup begins in February. Until then, they play a series against the West Indies.
What an end to a series, with Australia winning a thrilling contest by a mere two wickets. The game saw the Proteas put up an impressive batting performance, before the Australian top-order decided to toy with the South African attack. The hosts were cruising for most part of their chase, until the last few overs. Just four overs ago, Australia needed 15 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand. Then came a couple of dismissals, that of Smith and Bailey, though it was no big threat at that stage. The real twist occurred with Peterson’s sensational double-wicket maiden, which saw the dismissals of Matthew Wade and Pat Cummins, suddenly bringing the balance of the match to the centre. The next over by Kyle Abbott saw a tight field setup by Hashim Amla, and could have been a maiden had it not been for the no-ball, which is a big no-no at such a stage. With four runs needed off six balls, with two wickets in hand, the atmosphere was suddenly electric at the SCG. It was James Faulkner however, who came to the rescue for his side, smashing the first ball of the final over for a boundary towards the square leg boundary, leading to wild celebrations all around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The thriller of a contest finally comes to a close, with James Faulkner hitting the winning boundary off the first ball of the final over bowled by Peterson.
Peterson takes his fourth wicket, with the Proteas doing what nobody would have imagined in their wildest dream a few moments ago! A double-wicket maiden ensures that the game is still not over!
OUT! Pat Cummins b Peterson 0 (4)
What is happening at SCG!! Peterson is suddenly on a roll!
OUT! Matthew Wade b Peterson 3 (6)
Suddenly there’s some drama in air, with Australia losing their sixth wicket with 11 needed to win. Can the Proteas pull off an unlikely win from this point? Skipper Bailey attempts to hoick an Abbott delivery over mid-wicket, but ends up holing a catch to Rossouw, who has been impressive with his fielding today, to depart for four. James Faulkner comes in to bat next.
OUT! George Bailey c Rossouw b Abbott 4 (7)
Australia are coasting towards the target at the moment, with Smith looking to wind things up quickly. Two boundaries off successive overs has nearly levelled the equations between the two sides now. Robin Peterson manages to remove Peterson towards the end of the 44th over by inducing Smith to play a shot towards deep cover, where Rossouw takes a spectacular catch. Matthew Wade comes in place of Smith.
OUT! Steven Smith c Rossouw b Peterson 67 (74)

 

Steven Smith smashes Parnell over mid-on for a boundary to bring up his half-century, his third consecutive fifty-plus score in the current series. the 25 year-old local boy is having a terrific series, and will seal himself as a crucial member of the side for the World Cup. Maxwell is dismissed when Maxwell attempts to go for a big hit, but gets caught by Behardien at mid-off. Skipper George Bailey comes in next, as Australia are now on the verge of a win.
OUT! Glenn Maxwell c Behardien b Morkel 7 (10)

 

The first ball of the 38th over sees Morkel mess up with his fielding near the third-man boundary. South Africa continue to be sloppy with their fielding, and will have to reflect on these mistakes at the end of the match. Eleven runs come off the 38th over, with two boundaries being a major contributor of those runs. Smith is close to bringing up his third ODI fifty, while Maxwell opens his account with a single after cutting Morkel towards square third man. Australia need 45 runs from 54 balls.
Smith is finally beginning to flex his arms, smashing the first ball of the Morkel over for a six over long-on, entering the 30s in the process. Watson toys with Morkel in the same over, smashing the ball over the umpire’s head for a straight six! Morkel however, gets the last laugh as Watson miscues the short-pitched rising delivery, failing to get enough meat on it, as the ball falls into the hands of Rilee Rossouw at the mid-wicket boundary. Glenn Maxwell is the next batsman to walk in, and is expected to guide Australia to an easy victory from this point onwards. 57 runs needed for Australia from 66 balls with seven wickets in hand.
OUT! Shane Watson c Rossouw b Morkel 82 (93)

 

Kyle Abbott brings a much-needed sigh of relief for the South Africans as he gets Steven Smith to play a well-pitched delivery outside off onto his stumps. The replay however shows the delivery to be a big front-foot no-ball. Smith is recalled after nearly reaching the pavilion, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel for the Proteas as yet. Smith manages to get a single off the free-hit. The fifty-run partnership is brought up between the Watson-Smith pair in the 35th over. The penultimate delivery of the same over goes for a boundary off Smith’s bat after Parnell pitches the ball outside off, with Smith going to his right and deflecting the full-length delivery towards fine-leg boundary. Watson continues to make merry by scoring consecutive boundaries off the first two deliveries of the next over by Abbott towards mid-off and deep mid-wicket regions respectively. The 200-run mark is also breached in the same over, with eight wickets still in hand. 12 runs scored off the last over. Australia now need 82 to win from 78 balls.

 

 

The 30th over bowled by Behardien fetches five runs for the hosts.The next couple of overs are relatively dry for the Aussies, fetching a total of three runs only. The 33rd over is slightly better, with Watson and Smith both milking three runs off consecutive deliveries to fetch seven runs in total.
Farhaan Behardien creates a narrow chance in the 30th when Watson attempts drive the ball past the cover region, only for Miller to get the slightest of contact with the ball while diving to his right at short cover. The South African fielding is taking a hit at the moment, with a few misfields and missed chances ruining the visitor’s chances even further. Smith in the meantime is still going steady, not having scored a boundary as yet after facing 32 balls. Australia need 99 runs now from 102 balls.
There is a bit of a commotion at the SCG, with a streaker trying to break into the playing area until overpowered by the security officials. The act of streaking at the SCG attracts a fine of 5,500 Australian dollars. Watson in the meantime is one hit away from bringing up his 31st ODI fifty. Peterson comes in to bowl the 28th over and Watson attempts to smash him over his head, only for the ball to be stopped just short of the boundary by Farhaan Behardien. Ryan McLaren is brought into the attack in the 29th over, with Watson bringing up his milestone off the first ball of the over off a boundary through point. Eight runs are scored off the 29th over, with 105 runs to win for the Aussies with 114 balls and eight wickets in hand.

 

Watson shows no signs of being affected by Finch’s dismissal, smashing a boundary through extra cover off the final delivery of the very next over by Parnell, who has now conceded 31 runs from four overs. Smith decides to go slow over the next couple of overs, scoring four runs from 11 balls at the end of 25 over, with Australia two runs away from breaching the 150-run mark. Australia need another 127 runs to win from 138 balls.

 

 

And the Proteas finally manage to get the much-needed breakthrough, with Aaron Finch departing right after the completion of the 100-run stand with Watson. Tries to go major over deep cover, but Faf du Plessis gets hold of the ball. du Plessis has to throw the ball back inside the boundary after realising he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from crossing the boundary rope, and Rilee Rossouw’s presence turns out to be lucky as he manages to collect the ball thrown back inside by du Plessis. Steven Smith, the hero from the previous encounter at the MCG, walks in next. The duo of Watson and Finch look formidable, with the former starting to set his sight at a half-century.
OUT! Aaron Finch c Rossouw b Peterson 76 (67)
Abbott and Behardien are carrying out the pace-spin combination for South Africa, which has seen a marginal decrease in the flow of runs in the last few overs. The batting pair however score nine runs off the 20th over, with Finch hitting his eleventh boundary off the first ball. Watson runs out of patience by the 20th over, and decides to smash his first six of the innings.

 

Farhaan Behardien is introduced into the attack in the 16th over of the match, conceding a mere two runs in the process. The required run-rate in the meantime is a touch above five, which should not be a worrying factor for the Aussies the way they are progressing at the moment. Kyle Abbott returns to bowl in the 17th over, starting the spell with a no-ball, but not letting Finch make the most of a free hit this time. The two batsmen have settled themselves at the crease by now, with the partnership worth 75 now, and the likes of Steven Smith and several others to follow in the event of a dismissal.

 

 

Finch completes his half-century in 39 balls with two consecutive boundaries off Robin Peterson through the extra-cover region, with the second one landing an inch short of being a six. That region is soon starting to become a favourite of his, with a third boundary coming off the fifth ball of the 15th over, bowled by McLaren, to bring up the 100-run mark for Australia. The final ball of the over is a front-foot no-ball, which is followed by Finch hitting another four, this time over mid-wicket.
Finch continues the policy of hitting a boundary virtually off every over, this time sending it past mid-off. The run-rate still continues to touch the seven-run mark. Hashim Amla decides to introduce spin into the attack by getting Robin Peterson on board. Peterson, who is known to be an economical spinner, gives away six runs sans any boundary to end the 12th over with Australia 82 for one. Finch in the meantime has reached the forties, and looks all set to bring up his fifth ODI half-century.
Morne Morke resumes his unfinished over, with the Australians getting six runs and two overs shaved off their target. Finch decides to defend the first few balls, before he gives in to the temptation of smashing a wayward delivery for a boundary through the covers. The Proteas would want to go for a change in bowling at this stag, after having leaked a plenty of runs so far.
The players walk back to the field as match referee Javagal Srinath declares Australia’s new target to be 275 from 48 overs, using the ‘Duckworth-Lewis’ method or the ‘Rain-Rule’. Can South Africa take a wicket after the rain break, just like Australia did in the previous such instance earlier in the day?

 

 

 

 

Ryan McLaren replaces Wayne Parnell, who has leaked 17 runs from two overs so far, in the attack. There has been a boundary scored in nearly every over bowled so far in the innings. Finch skies the fourth ball over the fielders at backward point, but luckily for him, the ball lands in no man’s land, giving the home side three runs instead. Watson goes for the straight shot off the first ball of the next over, sending the ball over the non-striker’s end, as the heavens open up for the second time in the match so far. The players are vacating the playing field, and the covers are out once again. Lets hope for play to resume quickly.
Warner’s dismissal should bring the South Africans back into the game for the moment, even if briefly. The Finch-Watson pair as well as the depth in the rest of the Australian batting is still a worrisome thought for the Proteas, which is reinforced with a boundary off the penultimate delivery of the sixth over to open his account. This followed by another boundary to end the over on an expensive note. The 50-run mark is brought up in the seventh-over itself, with the bowlers virtually gifting boundaries to the batsmen at times.

 

 

 

 

David Warner decided to give Aaron Finch some contest for the title of ‘destroyer-in-chief’of South Africa. Hits a boundary off the fourth ball of third over, and smashes a huge six over mid-wicket two balls later, taking Australia to 29 for no loss at the end of three overs, with a run-rate of well-over nine per-over. Australia, at this flow, threaten to shatter any hopes of a South African victory, thaty was earlier built due to a commendable batting performance. The Proteas soon get the breakthrough when Warner skies a Parnell delivery, with Robin Peterson taking a superb running catch at the square leg region. The run-rate is still over seven at the moment, and a similar innings by Shane Watson should complete the damage for the South Africans.
OUT! David Warner c Peterson b Parnell 21 (16)

 

The Australians score eight runs off the first over bowled by Morne Morkel, courtesy a boundary through cover off the bat of Finch. Two boundaries are scored in the next over bowled by Kyle Abbott, as the Australians are feasting on the loose deliveries. The Proteas need to keep the overs tight and not let the Finch-Warner pair get away at this stage of the chase.

 

 


Read the innings report

 

Behardien enters the 40s off just 20 balls with a boundary through extra cover, with a boundary being scored off each over for the last eight overs. James Faulkner has been introduced in the 48th over. Parnell displays some fine running with some quick running between the wickets. The partnership crossed the 50-run mark in the 48th over, brought in just 40 balls. Behardien completed his second ODI fifty in just 35 balls in the second ball of the 49th over. Behardien also records the first six of the match, the best shot of the innings so far, sending the ball over extra cover. A six is smashed over mid-wicket off the first ball of the final over by James Faulkner. The second delivery raps Behardien on thigh, which the umpire adjudges to be leg-before-wicket. The decision however is overturned after Behardien goes for the review. After missing the third delivery, Behardien was finally dismissed off the fourth ball when he attempted to smash his third six, but was caught at deep mid-wicket by Smith instead. McLaren scored a run off the last two deliveries to finish the innings for South Africa at 280 for the loss of six wicket, their best batting performance in the series so far.
OUT! Farhaan Behardien c Smith b Faulkner 63 (41)
Behardien races to the 30s in no time at all, scoring five boundaries in the process already. Behardien’s presence at the crease would be reassuring for the South Africans of posting a competitive target. The Proteas haven’t been able to provide a decent finish to their innings so far in the tournament, and would be required to do the same in order to boost their chances today. The partnership at the end of the 46th over is worth 38 from 31 balls, with a run-rate of over five at the moment. Behardien’s fireworks should see SA move comfortably past 270 at the end of their innings, though 300 would be an ideal target that the visitors would like to set.

 

Behardien pulls the fifth ball of the 42nd over for a boundary towards deep square-leg, bringing some life into an otherwise dull over. The 25th boundary of the innings is also scored by Behardien, pulling the short ball towards the fine-leg boundary.
And South Africa recieve their biggest jolt yet, with de Kock nicking the Cummins delivery to the wicket-keeper. There’s hardly an appeal for the catch, but de Kock accepts his error and starts walking, which makes the umpires believe he genuinely got some glove to the ball and raises his finger. South Africa lose their fifth wicket with 206 runs on the board, and Wayne Parnell walks in to bat next. Great display of honesty and sportsmanship by the South African glovesman though.
OUT! Quinton de Kock c Wade b Cummins 107 (122)
South African wicket-keeper completes his sixth ODI hundred, the ton being the first by a South African at the venue, and has Behardien on the other end for support. With ten overs to go, de Kock needs to anchor the rest of the South African innings and aim for a big total on the board, with the ammunition to do the same.

 

Two missed run-out opportunities in the 36th over, with the Steven Smith missing out on an easy one in the second instance which could have seen Quinton de Kock depart for 98 after giving up on the chase. More co-ordinated required between de Kock and Miller to prevent any such unwanted situations. Smith makes up for the missed run-out in the next over, when he entices Miller to play a sweep, which the batsman ends up skieing due to an edge, and offer a catch to Cummins at fine leg. South Africa lose their fourth wicket, and are starting to lose the plot at the moment.
OUT! David Miller c Cummins b Smith 5 (12)
de Kock enters the 90s with a boundary towards deep-backward square-leg off the last delivery of the 35th over. This is followed by another boundary off the third ball of the next over, cutting the delivery past point as the ball beats Aaron Finch at the boundary. de Kock is in his nervous nineties at the moment, and a sixth ODI ton would be a great moment for the South African wicket-keeper.

 

The Aussies strike off the first ball after the short break, with the Bailey-Cummins combo playing spoilsport for the Proteas for the second time in the second over. du Plessis looks to push the ball down the line, but the ball flies towards Bailey at the mid-off position, though the Aussie skipper has to dive for the catch and ends up taking a rather fine one. David Miller is the next batsman to walk in, and the Aussies are back in the game now! South Africa should not let the quick dismissals stop their momentum.
OUT! Faf du Plessis c Bailey b Cummins 2 (3)
Rain plays spoilsport as it does not let the 32nd over bowled by Cummins reach completion. The players race off the field as the groundstaff come out to the field with the covers. The South Africans are clearly on top at the moment, though the dismissal of Rossouw a couple of deliveries before the stoppage of play would have halted the momentum, even if for a brief period. With 17 overs left for the South African innings to come to close, the Proteas need to start flexing their muscles. Australia, on the other hand, will look to make the most out of Rossouw’s dismissal and target de Kock. The covers have come off, with play set to resume any moment.
The 100 partnership is completed off 118 deliveries in the 31st over. The pair have risen very well on the occasion, and should look to go for the big hits now. Rossouw brings uup his maiden ODI fifty at the end of the 32nd over with a single. Great work by the youngster. That however comes to an end off the very first ball of the next over when Rossouw attempts to go for a big hit, but ends up slicing a rising Cummins delivery towards Bailey at mid-on. Much-needed breakthrough achieved by the Aussies, as the Proteas will hope to not encounter any further blows. du Plessis is the next batsman to walk in.
OUT! Rilee Rossouw c Bailey b Cummins 51 (71)

 

Smith comes in to bowl his second over of the innings, conceding four runs in the process. Only one boundary has come in the last four overs, as the de Kock-Rossouw pair look to stay at the crease till the powerplay. Rossouw hooks the fifth ball of the 29th over bowled by Cummins for a four, falling an inch short of being a six. Rossouw in the meantime is onw the verge of a half-century. Rossoow faces a delivery scare off the third ball of the 30th over, in which he tries to reverse sweep , but ends with the ball getting caught by leg slip fielder. Rossouw goes for the review, and is succesful in proving his case as the ball was later shown to hit his forearm. South Africa continue to cruise at this stage.

 

Two boundaries off the first three deliveries of the 24th over, with Rossouw pulling the third delivery towards the square leg boundary to enter the 30s. Faulkner is averaging nearly six at the moment. Hazlewood goes for seven runs off the 25th over, courtesy a smart piece of batting by de Kock that sees the ball beating the fielder at the third-man boundary. The partnership is now worth 79 runs now and have placed the visitors at a comfortable position. Steven Smith has been introduced into the attack for the 26th over, as the bowling options are not going too well for Aus skipper Bailey.
The run-rate is going at a steady five presently, with Quinton de Kock completing his half-century and looking set for the three-figure mark, and Rossouw starting to flex his arms at the other end. Sounds like an ideal setting for the Proteas to go for a big total. The 21st over sees Maxwell not let the batsmen go for any of the big hits and stick the the defensive tactics, giving only three runs away in the process. Faulker comes in to bowl the 22nd over, the last ball of which sees de Kock hit the ball towards the non-striker’s stumps. Had Faulkner managed to get his fingers some contact with the ball, it would have seen the non-striker Rossouw go back to the pavilion as he was well out of the crease.

 

Rossouw hits his second boundary of his innings when he cuts the second ball of the 18th over for a boundary through point Makes full utilisation of the room offered to him. This is followed by a simple push to a full-pitched delivery by Starc, sending the ball scurrying through the cover fielders towards the boundary. Four runs come off the next over bowled by Maxwell. Faulkner comes in to bowl the 20th over, which sees the 100-run mark come up for the loss of one wicket.

 

Rossouw survives a dismissal scare in the fourth ball of the 15th over bowled by Maxwell when he goes for a big hit over mid-on, where Hazlewood’s fingers come within touching distance. Ends as a boundary instead. hde Kock reaches his fifth half-century off 55 deliveries, his first against Australia, in the 17th over of the game. Rossouw, in the meantime, has moved into the double figures.
Shane Watson has now been introduced by skipper George Bailey, who is currently experimenting with his bowling options. The decision to introduce Maxwell worked very well for him, fetching him the dismissal of Amla. Watson leaks a boundary off the third delivery of his over, when de Kock edges the delivery pitched outside off for a boundary past the keeper towards third man. This is followed by de Kock cutting a wideish delivery off the fifth delivery for a boundary towards deep point. de Kock is playing all types of shots at the moment, with some quick runs in mind. Expensive start for Watson however. The 13th over bowled by Glenn Maxwell is a tight one, conceding just two runs off it. Half shout by the allrounder in the last delivery as Rossouw gets an inside edge onto his pads. Cummins reintroduced into the attack in the 14th over. de Kock moves into the 40s at the moment, and looks set to reach his fifth ODI half-century.

 

Bailey introduces spin after the conclusion of the 10th over in the form of off-spinner Glenn Maxwell. And Maxwell finally manages to remove the dangerous-looking Amla off the last delivery of the over. Tries to push a ball that is good of length and pitched outside off, but Amla only gets an unmistakable edge that is nicely collected by Aussie keeper Matthew Wade. Amla has helped his side to a good start though, and Rilee Rossouw needs to keep the momentum going along with de Kock.
OUT! Hashim Amla c Wade b Maxwell 18 (28)

 

According to statistics, the team batting first has has more success at the SCG, which should come as a good news for the Proteas. Amla cuts the fifth delivery of the ninth over bowled by Cummins, causing the ball to fly between Maxwell and Smith at point for a four. Amla would never let a delivery that is short and wide go waste. Free hit on the third delivery of the ninth over due to a front-foot no ball by Faulkner, which however is wasted by de Kock as he merely pats the ball towards the covers. de Kock makes amends in the next delivery with a boundary towards fine leg. With that, the fifty-run opening partnership is up for the Proteas.Good start for the visitors in the final ODI.
Pat Cummins in introduced into the attack in the seventh over, and de Kock decides attack him in the second delivery itself when he hooks the short-pitched delivery towards the boundary at deep backward square leg. The first extras of the day are conceded with a wide in the fourth delivery. Another boundary towards the square leg region coming off the bat of de Kock off the last delivery of the seventh over. The South African wicket-keeper has moved into the 20s now. Aussie skipper George Bailey has decided to introduce James Faulkner into the attack in the eighth over. Faulkner bowls a short-pitched delivery in the second ball of the over, allowing a player of Amla’s class to go for a pulll, which sends the ball flying over the fielder at mid-wicket towards the boundary. The fifth ball of the over sees Amla getting a leading edge while trying to play the ball towards the same region, but land just short of the fielder at point.
Starc builds the aggression with 145 kmph bouncer that forces de Kock to duck, followed by a typical stare from Starc. The two sides are known for their aggression, and things will look to get interesting from here onwards. de Kock scores his first boundary in the third delivery of the fifth over, when he middles an uppish delivery by Hazlewood pitched outside the off-stump, sending the boundary racing down towards the boundary at long-off. This is followed by another boundary off the last ball of the over, with de Kock coming down the track to smash a full length delivery over the mid-off fielder’s head this time. de Kock races to double-figures in no time. The sixth over by Starc in another tight one, with the bowler not giving away any loose deliveries and keeping a tight line and length.
Quinton de Kock nearly plays the first delivery of the second over bowled by Mitchell Starc onto his stumps, with the ball zooming past the keeper towards the fine leg boundary instead. Starc, in the meantime is bowling consistently in the 140s. The third over bowled by Hazlewood goes for a maiden, with Amla deciding to either defend or leave the deliveries aside. It would be highly critical for the pair to get their side off to a strong start if they are to improve their chances of winning the dead rubber of a game.
De Kock and skipper Amla walk out to bat in the fifth and final ODI at Sydney. Amla survives a dismissal scare in the second ball of the first over, bowled by Josh Hazlewood who comes in for Nathan Coulter-Nile, when he lets go of the ball in the last minute and manages to get his elbow guard to deflect the ball towards the slip fielder. The umpires did not rule him out and the hosts decided to preserve a review at this stage. The first runs are scored in the fourth ball, when Amla pushes a full-length delivery through mid-off for a four.

Teams:

Australia: Aaron Finch, David Warner, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, George Bailey (c), Glenn Maxwell,  Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Hashim Amla (c), Faf du Plessis, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Farhan Behardien, Ryan McLaren, Robin Peterson, Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott.

Toss: South Africa win the toss and elect to bat. Hashim Amla will skipper the side for the fifth ODI. AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn have been replaced by Rilee Rossouw and Morne Morkel, while the Aussies have brough Josh Hazlew0od in for Nathan Coulter-Nile.


Hello and welcome to CricketCountry’s coverage of the fifth and final game of the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series between Australia and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Sunday. I am Amit Banerjee, and I will take you through the day’s proceedings.

Australia snatched victory from the clinching jaws of defeat to seal the five match One-Day International (ODI) series against South Africa with a game in hand. The premature end to the series leaves the dead rubber of a match in Sydney with enormous room for experimentation.

Australia should be cock-a-hoop with the result of the series, as much as with their innate ability to claw back into the game every time they were put under the pump. This leaves the two teams with a game to play in Sydney, the result of which has only academic relevance. However the match brings with it an environment devoid of pressure with nothing on the line except pride.

Therefore, it is tailor made for blokes out of nick as it may allow these guys from either side to play with a little more freedom. Besides South Africa are unlikely to get another go at a competitive opposition before the ICC World Cup 2015, their next and last assignment being a series against a depleted West Indies at home. So its imperative they approach the last game with seriousness. Australia, on the other hand, can take a vicarious pleasure in toppling India as the No. 1 ranked ODI team in the world should they emerge victorious.

Squads:

Australia: George Bailey (c), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner, Shane Watson.

South Africa: AB de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Kyle Abbott, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn.

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