Last Updated on 22 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey

Things were looking relatively rosy for Australia after their first up win in Durban. The 214-run victory was underpinned by an excellent performance by Matt Renshaw and effective bowling display, especially by Josh Hazlewood on day five.

However, fast forward to the third Test and Australia have questions to answer. An insipid performance in Gqeberha further exposed the concerns around the batting lineup, and there could be as many as four or five changes to the XI for the decider in Cape Town.

Australia possible playing 11 vs South Africa: What will the batting order look like and will Nathan Lyon play?

1. Travis Head, 2. Matt Renshaw, 3. Cameron Green, 4. Steve Smith, 5. Josh Inglis, 6. Alex Carey (wk), 7. Beau Webster, 8. Pat Cummins (c), 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Josh Hazlewood

Matt Renshaw likely back to opener

There has been some speculation on social media that Sam Harper could play. However, he’ll be flying back to Australia and won’t feature in the Cape Town Test.

Also flying back to Australia is Nic Maddinson. The selection gamble didn’t pay off, with Maddinson dismissed cheaply twice in Gqeberha as he struggled throughout most of the series.

So Australia will have a new opening combination for the deciding Test. According to CODE Sports, Renshaw batted against the new ball at training on Saturday, hinting a move back to the top of the order is imminent. This then opens up the number five spot, but whether it’s the returning Cameron Green who bats there remains to be seen.

Will Australia drop Marnus Labuschagne?

The speculation doesn’t end there with CODE Sports also reporting that Marnus Labuschagne is in danger of losing his spot. In Australia’s main training session on Sunday, Labuschagne batted at a later time than usual with Josh Inglis having a longer hit.

Via Cricbuzz, Bharat Sundaresan also reported that Labuschagne’s involvement – or lackthereof – in the session could point to him being dropped for the third Test. Interestingly, Cameron Green batted for quite some time against the new ball, hinting that there could be a return to number three. The all-rounder batted in that position in last year’s World Test Championship Final and tour of the West Indies.

Journalist Daniel Brettig had similar views when watching on.

“Labuschagne looked anything but his bubbly, caffeinated self,” Brettig wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald. “His demeanor contrasted with the focused attention displayed by Cameron Green and Josh Inglis, who both looked strong contenders to play on Tuesday.”

Dropping Labuschagne would be a big move from the selectors given they usually stick with incumbents for big matches. His shot in the second innings at Gqeberha may have been the final straw, with coach Andrew McDonald simply stating “you saw what we saw” following Australia’s awful fourth day.

Steve Smith in doubt with neck issue

Steve Smith will undergo a fitness test on match-eve to determine whether he will be ready to go for the decider. Smith struggled with a neck issue during the Gqeberha Test and has been subject to limited preparation ahead of the Newlands encounter.

“He hasn’t had the start he would like in this series. He’s got a bit of a neck issue going at the moment. You guys [the media] would have seen that play out in the nets,” coach Andrew McDonald said, as quoted by cricket.com.au.

“Today he’ll progress (his training) – he didn’t have his helmet on yesterday as well, so … hopefully he progresses to (facing) bowlers.

“We feel like it’s going to be a pretty steep progression … he should be available.”

If Smith is ruled out, Labuschagne (and Beau Webster) will likely earn another cap with Josh Inglis to come in for Smith.

Should Nathan Lyon play, and for whom?

Although the Newlands surface has 6mm of grass on it, it looks dry. Sunny conditions are forecast for most of the Test, and although temperatures won’t soar to any great heights, spin could become a factor later in the match.

“We had a dry winter, so the change is not that big. But you would find late afternoons to get a lot cooler than in the summer, so we expect it to be a bit slower than usual,” said Newlands head groundsman Braam Mong.

“Just trying to prepare a fair wicket. Nothing special in the sense of pace, bounce. It’s early in the season for us, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

Australia left Nathan Lyon out of their XI for the second Test, but there is a chance he returns for this match. If he does, the visitors have a big call to make regarding which fast bowler they leave out. Scott Boland was outstanding in Gqeberha, but Australia have preferred Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood as the frontline quicks when available.