In-form South Africa eye historic win over Australia

Johannesburg: After a hectic week where the ball-tampering investigation overshadowed the four-Test series between hosts South Africa and Australia, cricket will take centre stage once again in Johannesburg.

The final game of the series with South Africa 2-1 up, having won the third Test in Cape Town, provides the possibility of an exciting finish to an intense series.

While the hosts come into the game high on confidence after winning two Tests in a row, Australia will have to do without two experienced batsmen and leaders, former captain Steven Smith and David Warner, who have been banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia (CA) in the wake of their involvement in ball-tampering and breaching CA's Code of Conduct.

Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft has also been handed a nine-month ban for using sandpaper to alter the conditions of the ball.

Joe Burns, Matt Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell have been called up as replacements for Smith, Warner and Bancroft.

Australia's challenge is to regroup under a new captain, Tim Paine. It is to be seen whether the controversy will spur them on or push them on the back foot.

Batting collapses -- Australia went from 150/4 to 175/8 in the first innings in Cape Town before being bowled out for 255 and in second innings 57/0 to 59/4.

South Africa, on the other hand, will look to build on their imperious run after recovering from the early jitters they faced in Durban.

AB de Villiers, Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar -- with 352, 291 and 233 runs respectively from three matches -- occupy the top three positions in the list of leading run-scorers in this series.

Kagiso Rabada leads the wicket-takers' chart with 20 wickets at 18.70 followed by Keshav Maharaj, who has 13 wickets at 33.30, and everything looks nicely set up for South Africa's first home Test series win over Australia since 1970.

Teams from

South Africa: Faf du Plessis (Capt.), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, AB de Villiers

Australia: Tim Paine (Capt. & wk), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc

Pitch and conditions
Thunderstorms have been forecast for the last two days of this Test while scattered showers are expected on Sunday. The pitch at the Wanderers assisted the bowlers the last time South Africa played a Test, against India in January, and batsmen had been made to work hard for their runs.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa won their last Test series victory at home against Australia in 1970.
• This Test may also be Morne Morkel's last, if he plays, as the fast bowler has announced his retirement.
• South Africa lost against India in last Test match played at the Wanderers.

Match facts
30 March to 3 April, 2018
Start time: 10.00am local (8:00 GMT)