Australia emerged triumphant in the first ODI against South Africa, cementing their top-ranking aspirations. Mitchell Marsh, the Australian skipper, won the toss and elected to bowl first, putting South Africa on the defensive. Despite Proteas’ captain Temba Bavuma’s heroic unbeaten 114, supported by an incredible second ODI century, his teammates struggled. Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood’s stellar performance, capturing three crucial wickets, further compounded South Africa’s woes.

Australia’s chase began on shaky ground, with the team at 113 for seven wickets by the 17th over. However, a remarkable partnership between Marnus Labuschagne, who remained unbeaten with 80 runs, and Ashton Agar, achieving a career-best 48 not out, engineered a remarkable turnaround in favor of Australia. Their partnership steered Australia to their first ODI victory in South Africa since 2011.