AUS vs SA 2nd ODI Live Streaming: Time, TV and squads as South Africa chase series in Mackay

South Africa flattened Australia by 98 runs in the series opener, and now the pressure is squarely on the hosts. The second ODI lands in Mackay on Friday, August 22, 2025, with first ball at 10:00 AM local time at Great Barrier Reef Arena. Mitch Marsh’s 88 couldn’t paper over a middle-order slide in game one, while Keshav Maharaj’s five-wicket burst tore through Australia’s chase. One more South African win and the series is done with a match to spare.

There’s another layer to this contest: Australia are adjusting to life without two pillars of their 50-over setup. Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell have walked away from ODIs, leaving gaps in experience, finishing power, and crisis management. South Africa, under Temba Bavuma, smell a chance to press that advantage and lock in combinations ahead of the next ODI World Cup cycle, which they will co-host in just over two years.

How to watch and match timings

If you’re in India, you can catch the match live on the Star Sports network. Streaming is on Disney+ Hotstar for subscribers. The day game starts at 2:30 PM IST on Friday, so it’s a neat post-lunch watch. For viewers in South Africa, the game will be available via the DStv app from 6:30 AM SAST. Fans in the UK and Pakistan can check their regional sports broadcasters listed by local guides and schedules.

• Match: Australia vs South Africa, 2nd ODI
• Venue: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
• Date: Friday, August 22, 2025
• Start time: 10:00 AM local (AEST) | 2:30 PM IST | 6:30 AM SAST
• TV/Streaming (India): Star Sports Network; Disney+ Hotstar (subscription required)
• Streaming (South Africa): DStv app

Not near a TV? Mobile viewers in India can stream on Hotstar; plan ahead for peak-time traffic around the toss. If you’re following from the office, mute alerts for spoilers—this one has the makings of a seesaw.

For anyone scanning for quick access details: this is your hub for AUS vs SA live streaming, start times, and squads, without the guesswork.

Form guide, selection calls and the key battles

South Africa set the tone in the first ODI with a tidy 297 and an even better bowling display. Maharaj was the headline with a five-for, but the platform came from disciplined seam bowling up top and sharp fielding. Australia’s chase stalled in the middle overs—exactly where Smith and Maxwell used to steady, improvise, and then accelerate.

For Australia, the top looks fine on paper—Travis Head and Marsh can hurt attacks early—but the engine room needs a tune-up. Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, and Aaron Hardie are all good players; the issue is clarity of roles. Does Green move to No. 4 to counter spin with his reach? Do Inglis and Carey swap to protect one of them from the new ball if early wickets fall? Expect the batting order to be a little more flexible this time.

With the ball, Australia still have bite. Mitchell Starc’s late swing, Josh Hazlewood’s control, and Pat Cummins’ hard lengths remain a handful, especially with a 10:00 AM start that can offer movement. Adam Zampa will be critical through overs 15–35, not just for wickets but to stall the rate against South Africa’s middle order hitters.

South Africa won’t tinker much. Bavuma’s calm tempo at the top pairs well with Quinton de Kock’s scoring options, and Rassie van der Dussen bridges the innings before the finishers arrive. David Miller and Tristan Stubbs are the closing act, with Marco Jansen providing muscle and balance at seven. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje bring the pace, and if the pitch grips again, the Maharaj–Tabraiz Shamsi spin pairing will happily bowl in tandem.

Key battles to watch:

• Head vs Rabada: Early movement versus early intent. Head likes to free his arms; Rabada loves attacking off stump with steep bounce.
• Marsh vs Maharaj: Marsh handled pace beautifully in game one. Will South Africa bring spin to him quicker this time?
• de Kock vs Starc: The lefty sees plenty of Starc in T20 leagues, but ODI new-ball spells are a different beast with two slips lurking.
• Zampa vs Miller/Stubbs: South Africa’s power hitters against Australia’s main spin threat during the squeeze—game-defining if it sticks.

What about conditions? With a morning start, seamers often get a small window where the ball does a bit. As the sun climbs, batting usually gets easier if wickets are in hand. The ground rewards strike rotation; teams that turn ones into twos tend to build a base for a late burst.

Selection watch for Australia: Nathan Ellis offers death skills and handy change-ups if they want an extra seamer. But that would force a tough call—do they rest one of the big three quicks, or swap a batting all-rounder for a specialist? More likely, they back the XI from game one and demand better execution. For South Africa, stability is the play. The only tweak they might consider is the spin balance if the surface looks flatter, but Maharaj’s form makes him undroppable.

The bigger picture matters. This series is part tune-up, part trial. South Africa are already shaping a core for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which they will co-host with Zimbabwe and Namibia. Australia, meanwhile, are retooling their blueprint without Smith and Maxwell, two of the most adaptable white-ball operators of the last decade. You can’t replace that experience overnight; you build it by putting batters in uncomfortable scenarios and letting them learn fast.

The Powerplay could decide the tone. If Australia start fast with the bat, they can protect the middle from spin. If South Africa take early wickets again, we’re back to the same choke points as the first ODI. Flip the innings, and it’s similar: can Australia’s quicks nick off one of South Africa’s openers before Zampa takes over the middle?

Predicted XIs

• Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis
• South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Janneman Malan, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma (c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

So, what should you expect? A sharper Australia with more intent in the middle, and a South Africa unit trying to replicate their squeeze and finish the job early. If the first ODI was about rust versus rhythm, this one is about nerve. Whoever handles the middle overs better will likely walk into the third game with the upper hand—or the trophy already in the bag.