The Proteas suggested that they might alter their batting line-up for the second Test against Australia on Boxing Day.
After their batsmen largely missed in Brisbane, where they were bowled out for 152 and 99, South African captain Dean Elgar said a change could be afoot.
He was unwilling to go into details, although middle-order batsman Theunis de Bruyn has been invited in.
“The little I can give away is that our bowlers keep their places,” he said.
“There’s probably a change among the hitters.”
South Africa’s batting struggles in Brisbane followed some poor performances earlier in the year, with only Sarel Erwee and goalkeeper Kyle Verreynne making centuries since the start of the 2021/22 season.
Despite this, hitting coach Justin Sammons backed them up to be good as the series progressed.
“We have to keep the belief and the players have the belief,” he said.
“We haven’t played to our potential in the last couple of tests and we are determined to do well as well. The guys are doing their best behind the scenes and I am confident they will do well.” “
Australian closer Scott Boland, meanwhile, was confirmed on Sunday to start the second Boxing Day Test in Melbourne ahead of an “underdone” Josh Hazlewood.
Boland replaced injured fast bowler Hazlewood in the opening Test in Brisbane and was a key player with his red-hot form making him virtually unbeatable.
He is now assured of another game on home soil, where he went to an incredible 6-7 on his debut against England a year ago, cementing himself in Ashes folklore.
Captain Pat Cummins told reporters the team remained unchanged from the side which won by six wickets in two days at a bowler-unfriendly Gabba Ground in Brisbane last week, the first of a three-match series. .
“We gave Joshy every chance, (but) it got to a stage where (he) more than anyone felt like he was a little underdone,” he said.
“It really is a mark of the man, he himself said ‘I don’t feel quite right’, so he withdrew from the national team.
“We talk a lot about how (as a) team we need a squad mentality, and I think it’s another great example.”
Hazlewood missed Australia’s last two tests at Adelaide and Brisbane with a lateral strain, but had been training hard in preparation for Melbourne, where hot and humid conditions are expected.
Boland has taken 25 wickets at 10:33 since making his MCG debut a year ago and said on Friday he hoped his local knowledge would give him an advantage over Hazlewood.
The Boxing Day Test will be David Warner’s 100th, and the opener will strive to end a slump that has caused some to question his position in the side.
He is just 78 races away from 8,000 test races and has vowed to return to his best.
“This could be a wicket where I can go out there and play like the old me,” he said.
Team Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
South Africa Team: Dean Elgar (captain), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo
