South Africa vs. Australia 2nd Test 2026: Day 1 Score, Toss and XIs

Updated October 18, 2026: South Africa finished the rain-shortened first day of the second Test against Australia at 20 for 2 in Gqeberha. Cricket Australia’s series page lists the match as live, while its live blog reports stumps at 20/2 after rain interrupted play. Australia won the toss and elected to field. Both playing XIs are confirmed, with Scott Boland replacing Nathan Lyon in Australia’s side. The Test is scheduled for October 18–22 at Dafabet St George’s Park. Day 2’s first session has been revised to start at 9:45 a.m. South Africa Standard Time (SAST, UTC+02:00), or 7:45 a.m. UTC, according to Cricket Australia’s live update.

Day 1 update: South Africa 20/2 after rain

Cricket Australia’s live coverage says rain interrupted the opening day and records South Africa at 20/2 at stumps. The match center continues to classify the Test as in progress because the match has no result yet. The score is a snapshot at the close of Day 1, not a completed innings: South Africa will resume batting on Monday, October 19, if play begins as scheduled. Readers should check the live scorecard for any later update.

Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. The decision sent South Africa in to bat at St George’s Park. Cricket Australia’s toss report confirms the decision and the final team lists. Its live blog reports the rain interruption, the Day 1 close, and the revised Day 2 session schedule.

Confirmed playing XIs

Australia XI: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Renshaw, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitch Starc, Scott Boland, and Josh Hazlewood.

South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (captain), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wicketkeeper), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Kagiso Rabada, and Anrich Nortje.

Boland replaces Nathan Lyon, giving Australia an all-seam attack for this Test. South Africa’s XI includes Ackerman, named to open, and Rabada, back in the side after missing the Durban Test. Rickelton is listed as wicketkeeper. These are the announced match teams, rather than the broader squads or the possible combinations discussed before the toss. The selection report is available in Cricket Australia’s toss and team update.

When and where is the second Test?

The match is being played at Dafabet St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, from Sunday, October 18, through Thursday, October 22, 2026. Cricket South Africa’s season schedule lists a 10:00 a.m. local start for the second Test. Gqeberha uses South Africa Standard Time (SAST, UTC+02:00) on these dates, so the scheduled first ball on October 18 was 08:00 UTC. South Africa does not change its clock for daylight saving time. The opening-day start was also listed as 7:00 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT, UTC+11:00) on October 18.

After rain cut into Day 1, Cricket Australia published a revised first session for Monday, October 19, beginning at 9:45 a.m. SAST (UTC+02:00), or 07:45 UTC. That is an update to Day 2’s session plan; the remaining dates below are the scheduled daily starts currently listed for the five-day match.

These are scheduled starts, not a promise that all five days will be needed. Weather, the time required to complete overs, and the state of the match can change session plans. For the latest score and any further timing changes, follow Cricket Australia’s live blog or its second-Test match center.

Where to watch or listen

In Australia: Cricket Australia lists Kayo and Fox Cricket as the exclusive broadcast options for the series. ABC and SEN are carrying radio coverage. The scheduled opening-day start was 7:00 p.m. AEDT (UTC+11:00) on Sunday, October 18. Australia spans multiple time zones, so viewers outside the eastern daylight-time zone should check their local program guide.

In South Africa: SuperSport lists the second Test as a live broadcast on SuperSport. Check the local SuperSport schedule for channel and streaming availability, which can depend on the viewer’s service and package.

Elsewhere: Rights and start times vary by country. Check an authorized broadcaster in your market rather than assuming a single global stream. Official fixture and match updates are also available through Cricket Australia’s series page and SuperSport’s tour fixtures.

Series context after the Durban Test

Australia leads the three-Test series 1–0 after beating South Africa by 214 runs in Durban. In the first Test, Australia made 390 in its first innings, with Matthew Renshaw scoring 190. South Africa replied with 284. Australia then declared its second innings at 314/6, setting a target of 421; South Africa was dismissed for 206. Josh Hazlewood took 6/49 in the final innings. The ICC’s report of the Durban Test records the result and score details.

The Gqeberha match matters to both the series and the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27. A South African victory would level the series 1–1. If Australia wins, it will take a 2–0 lead with one Test remaining and secure the series. A draw would leave Australia ahead 1–0 before the final match. Each result also counts toward the teams’ WTC campaigns; the ICC identified this three-Test tour as part of the 2025–27 cycle in its series preview.

What comes next?

The third and final Test is scheduled for Newlands in Cape Town from October 27–31. That fixture follows the Gqeberha Test in the published series schedule. For now, the key confirmed update from the second match is the Day 1 close: South Africa 20/2 after rain, with play due to resume on Day 2 under Cricket Australia’s revised 9:45 a.m. SAST session schedule. The teams, toss decision, venue, original first-ball time, and the current score are confirmed; any further play or weather update should be checked in the live match coverage.