Faf de Klerk and Warrick Gelant are back in the South Africa team to face Australia in the Rugby Championship at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
De Klerk has completed his return to play protocol after missing the second Test against New Zealand due to concussion and replaces Jaden Hendrikse at scrum-half.
Gelant gets the nod over Jesse Kriel, who was unable to return after taking a blow to the head early in the 35-23 loss to the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber has also made three changes to the replacements, with Hendrikse, Elton Jantjies and Frans Steyn on the bench.
Herschel Jantjies, Willie le Roux and Jasper Wiese miss out as the world champions look to respond to their loss in Johannesburg.
"This is a very important clash for us to set the tone for our Rugby Championship tour and we feel that continuity in selection is important to build momentum in our campaign," Nienaber said.
"Warrick was in good form for the Stormers earlier this season and he has been working hard at training, so we thought it would be good to give him a run on the wing. He also combined well with Damian Willemse in the Rugby Championship, so we are excited to see what they offer us in the match.
"Faf, meanwhile, is back from concussion and his experience will be important in this game.
"We also feel it is important to give the likes of Ox (Nche), Joseph (Dweba) and Duane (Vermeulen) another opportunity to further build combinations and give them valuable game time as we build toward the Rugby World Cup next year."
South Africa team to play Australia:
Damian Willemse, Warrick Gelant, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk; Ox Nche, Joseph Dweba, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Elton Jantjies, Frans Steyn.
Australia recover from middle-order collapse to win Pakistan opener
Australia rallied to overcome Pakistan by two wickets in the first of three one-day internationals between the teams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Roared on by vocal travelling support, Pakistan were in the ascendency when their pacemen dropped Australia from 113-2 to 115-7, with the hosts chasing 204 for victory.
Harif Rauf dismissed three while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain also got in on the act to decimate the hosts' middle order.
Naseem Shah had earlier scored 40 off 39 balls to salvage a score of 203 all out for the tourists, but a crucial cameo from captain Pat Cummins got Australia over the line.
Cummins calmly came up with an unbeaten 32 from 31 balls as the hosts sealed victory with 16.3 overs remaining, with even Sean Abbott's error in being run out for 13 failing to inspire a change in the momentum.
Bowler Mitchell Starc told ABC Grandstand after the match: "We probably didn't like that Patty and I had pads on, but it's a positive start to the summer.
"A win is a win no matter how you get there."
Data Debrief: Cummins leads from the front
Cummins' unbeaten 32 may not go down as his most memorable knock in ODIs, but it did equal his best innings for Australia in the format.
That proved crucial after Matthew Short (1), Jake Fraser-McGurk (16), Marnus Labuschagne (16), Aaron Hardie (10) and Glenn Maxwell (0) disappointed with the bat.
Australia, who have won both of their ODI series versus West Indies and England since lifting the World Cup in 2023, can now seal a series triumph in Adelaide on Friday.
T&T's Dylan Carter cops gold in men's 50m freestyle at Swimming World Cup
Trinidad and Tobago’s ace swimmer Dylan Carter secured his second gold of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series as he produced a breathtaking performance to land win the men’s 50-metre freestyle in Singapore on Thursday.
Carter, a three-time Olympian, won the event in a brisk 20.82 seconds and left the field in his wake as he was the only swimmer under the 21-second barrier in the final. He won ahead of Australia’s Isaac Cooper (21.01s) and Germany’s Marius Kusch (21.04s).
The 28-year-old Carter is expected to line up in the heats of the men’s 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle on Thursday’s evening session before bringing the curtains down on his campaign in the men’s 50m butterfly on Friday.
Jansen, Coetzee return as Rabada rested for South Africa’s T20 series against India
Fast bowlers Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen have been included in the South Africa squad for their four-match home T20I series against India scheduled to begin on November 8.
The duo will make their return after injury lay-offs, but Cricket South Africa have rested Kagiso Rabada along with Lungi Ngidi with a home Test series against Sri Lanka to follow later next month.
Aiden Markram will captain the side against India, who beat the Proteas to win the T20 World Cup in Barbados earlier this year, while David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Keshav Maharaj are all included.
All-rounder Mihlali Mpongwana has received his maiden call-up, while uncapped Andile Simelane is also part of the roster.
“It’s both an exciting and important series for us as we continue to build towards the T20 World Cup in 2026,” said South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter.
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