Australia begin the second Test against South Africa at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, on Sunday 18 October with a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, after the 214-run win in Durban, according to cricket.com.au. The match is scheduled from 18 to 22 October, with first ball at 10am local time (7pm AEDT).
South Africa are fighting to avoid their first home series defeat since England toured in 2019-20, ABC News reported.
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South Africa’s Changes
South Africa have dropped Tristan Stubbs after one match for Matthew Breetzke, who scored a century against Australia in the ODI series in Durban, cricket.com.au reported. Kyle Verreynne will relinquish the gloves to Ryan Rickelton, according to the same preview, and Tony de Zorzi is still unavailable with a hamstring strain.
ABC News reported that coach Shukri Conrad had axed both Stubbs and Verreynne, with batters Marques Ackerman and Matthew Breetzke expected to come in and Rickelton to take the gloves.
Rabada Looks Set to Return
Kagiso Rabada missed the first Test with a hamstring tear that also sidelined him through the ODIs, and looks set to return, ABC News reported. His record against Australia is 58 wickets at 21.39, the second best of any quick against Australia this century, behind only Jasprit Bumrah, according to the ABC.
He takes a Test wicket every 39.5 balls, cricket.com.au reported, and he had match figures of 9-110 in the World Test Championship final last year.
In the 2018 series, when the city was still Port Elizabeth, Rabada collided with Steve Smith after taking his wicket and only avoided a ban on appeal, ABC News reported.
South African number three David Bedingham spoke on Friday 16 October, the ABC reported. “He’s massive for us,” he said of Rabada. “Against any team he plays against, he’s ready. Hopefully, come this next Test, he takes nine or 10 wickets; that would be quite nice.”
Australia’s Fitness Questions
Australia have selection questions of their own. In its preview, cricket.com.au said Cameron Green was racing the clock with an abdominal strain and Josh Inglis was back in the squad after a broken finger, adding that “an unchanged line up would be the safe assumption”.
Bedingham also spoke of the relentless nature of Australia’s attack, with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon offering little reprieve, ABC News reported. With the three Tests essentially back-to-back, he stressed the need to put work into Australia’s bowlers.
“It’s just about trying to take them to 80 overs, 100 overs, 120 overs,” Bedingham said. “And then, I know they’re machines, but everyone gets tired eventually. Well, hopefully…”
The Venue
Gqeberha is the new name for Port Elizabeth, official from 2021. The name is isiXhosa and refers to the nearby Baakens River, cricket.com.au reported.
St George’s Park has been South Africa’s most spin-friendly Test venue since the Covid pandemic, with spin taking 40 wickets at 22.77 and pace 35 at 34.17, according to cricket.com.au. This is also the earliest in the season a Test has been played there.
Australia have three wins and four losses from seven Tests at the ground. South Africa won the last two meetings there, by 231 runs in 2014 and by six wickets in 2018, cricket.com.au reported.
What to Watch From 7pm
First ball is at 7pm AEDT on Sunday 18 October, and ABC Sport will live-blog the second Test starting on Sunday night, ABC News reported. Whether Rabada plays, and whether Green wins his race against the clock, are the selection calls to watch.
The third Test follows at Newlands, Cape Town, from 27 to 31 October, according to cricket.com.au. The rest of the series will be covered in prw’s Cricket archive.
Sources: cricket.com.au, “South Africa v Australia, second Test: match preview”, 15 October 2026 (https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4592830/south-africa-v-australia-second-test-match-preview-guide-durban-broadcast-details-how-to-watch-team-news-session-start-times-2026); ABC News, “Proteas urged to wear down Australia’s bowling machines in second Test”, 17 October 2026 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-17/proteas-urged-wear-down-australias-bowlers-in-second-test/107278752)
Image: NASA, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, as photographed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station in May 2022. Used here as an illustrative view of the host city.
