Australia vs South Africa: Embroiled by off-the-field news

But there’s never really a dull moment when these two teams are playing, and there have been not one but two off-field controversies that have dominated talks surrounding the game. 

The first was the inclusion of Matthew Renshaw in the XI. But it wasn’t on cricketing grounds because almost everyone expected Renshaw to be named in the playing XI instead of Cameron Green. 

No, what set tongues wagging was when Renshaw chose to stand away from his teammates ahead of the start of the Test match – and also sat on a plastic chair near the boundary rope instead of in the dressing room. 

Whispers of him testing positive for COVID-19 started doing the rounds, and it was soon confirmed that he had returned a positive RAT test just minutes before the first ball was bowled. 

According to reports in the local Australian media, he had asked for hayfever tablets after the toss, which meant he needed to be tested for COVID under the protocols in place. 

He returned a positive Test but was in the XI and could well be subbed out if his situation worsens, given that the ICC permits COVID replacements like the way concussion replacements are allowed. 

However, it is telling that this isn’t the first time Australia have been caught up in a controversy around including a player in the XI who tested positive for COVID. 

In the final women’s cricket event of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Tahlia McGrath was named in the playing XI despite having tested positive for the virus. 

She was later seen sitting in the dressing room while wearing a mask, although the issue did not prevent the Aussies from clinching a gold medal. 

But amazingly, Renshaw’s COVID Test wasn’t the only significant issue, as team combinations forced Australia to make some big calls regarding their bowlers being dropped. 

The spinner-friendly Sydney pitch would always see Australia draft in another spinner instead of a bowler, so Mitchell Starc being rotated made sense. 

What made less sense was the dropping of Scott Boland for a returning Josh Hazlewood. And yes, there is a valid argument that Hazlewood would always return to the XI at some point. 

But it would still be better if that didn’t have to happen in this series, given Boland has not put a foot wrong throughout the series so far. 

He played well at Brisbane and Melbourne, the latter of the two grounds he is familiar with due to his status as a local lad. 

However, it was Hazlewood who got the nod, and it is a decision that is understandable to a degree but would also seem harsh for Boland. 

Australia can only hope that it is a decision that pays off; otherwise, questions will be asked about why it happened. 

And that is something that can refer both to the call to play Renshaw and the call to drop Boland.