South Africa squad second Australia Test change

South Africa have responded to their defeat in the first Test against Australia by dropping Tristan Stubbs from the squad and handing a recall to Matthew Breetzke ahead of the second match in Gqeberha.

Breetzke is the only change to the 17-man group named for the Test that begins on Sunday, October 18. Stubbs paid the price for a lean outing at Kingsmead in Durban, where he managed just 32 and one in the series opener.

A tough call on Stubbs

Dropping Stubbs will not have been easy. The right-hander produced one of South Africa’s better recent Test innings when he scored 94 against India 11 months ago, a knock that suggested he could become a mainstay of the middle order.

Since then, however, his returns have dried up. Two low scores against an Australian attack in good rhythm left the selectors with little cover, and Conrad has chosen to look elsewhere for the Gqeberha Test.

Why Breetzke got the nod

Breetzke’s Test record is modest. He has played two matches in the format, against Bangladesh in October 2024 and Zimbabwe in July 2025, and made only 14 runs across those outings. He has also not played first-class cricket since February, and his overall first-class average stands at 37.03.

What he does have is white-ball momentum. The 27-year-old spent this season on limited-overs duty, touring Namibia and facing Australia, and struck a century in the first ODI against the tourists in Durban. Conrad said that form, along with the player’s character, tipped the balance.

“Matt has been part of the squad before,” Conrad said. “The fact that his ODI form is as hot as it is gave him an inside lane and, more importantly, it’s the attitude and the character Matt brings and has.”

What the reshuffle signals

The change says three things about how South Africa view the rest of the series. First, they will not wait on form to return when a series is slipping away. Stubbs was given the opening Test and came up short, and the axe came straight after.

Second, the door stays open for players who score runs in any format. Breetzke has not ground out a mountain of red-ball runs to earn this recall. He made runs where he could, in the 50-over game, and the selectors rewarded it.

Third, South Africa are prepared to gamble on their balance to find more batting. Ryan Rickelton will take the wicketkeeping gloves, a move that could push Kyle Verreynne out of the starting eleven despite his place in the squad. Verreynne has not passed fifty in his last 13 Test innings, which makes the gamble easier to understand.

Whether Rickelton drops down the order or keeps opening with Aiden Markram remains undecided. Conrad said the call would be made before the toss, and added that Breetzke could be considered at the top of the order. Uncapped Marques Ackerman is another option, even though he usually bats in the middle order. Tony de Zorzi, who opened regularly through the last World Test Championship cycle, is still out with a hamstring injury.

“We have had the opportunity to lick our wounds and turn this ship in the right direction,” Conrad said.

Rabada boost and the weather threat

There was better news on the bowling front, with Kagiso Rabada expected to return after missing the Durban Test while recovering from a minor hamstring problem. Rabada had been ruled out of the series opener, and his return strengthens an attack that already includes Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Gerald Coetzee, Dane Paterson and Corbin Bosch.

The spin department has three options in Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, although only one is likely to make the final eleven. Maharaj and Harmer both played in Durban, where Australia’s tail frustrated the home bowlers on the opening day.

One factor outside South Africa’s control is the forecast. Heavy rain is predicted for the opening day in Gqeberha on Sunday, which could cut playing time and shape Conrad’s final selection.