Mitch Marsh isn’t expecting much change in Australia’s approach as they switch formats in their white-ball series against South Africa. 

The 33-year-old will take charge of the one-day international side once again in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, who has been rested for this series. 

Australia took an aggressive approach with the bat in the T20 series, packing their XI with big hitters and being prepared to lose wickets early as they sought big totals.

While the series was a 2-1 success for the hosts, across the three matches they found themselves in the uncomfortable position of being five wickets down in seventh (first T20I), 11th (second T20I) and 13th overs (third T20I).

Tim David said after hitting 83 in the first match in Darwin that slogging from the get-go was not a team edict. Rather the onus was on the players to quickly assess conditions and cash in if they could.

And Marsh is backing his charges to replicate the approach when the 50-over matches begin in Cairns on Tuesday.

“Getting ready to spend three and a half hours in the field will be a little bit different for a few of the boys,” Marsh told reporters on Monday. 

“But as a group and as a whole, nothing really changes.

“(There’s a) bit of a mindset change, it’s obviously different format.

“But the same stuff rolls on.”

The full-time T20I captain for over a year now, Marsh has led Australia nine times in ODIs when Cummins has been unavailable, filling the role in South Africa in 2023 and England in 2024.

Cummins, who also holds the top job of the Test team, has played only two of Australia’s 17 ODIs since leading his country to the ultimate glory at the 2023 World Cup in India.

One of the quirks of Marsh’s captaincy to date has been his decisions at the coin toss.

Across both ODIs and T20s, the Western Australian has won the toss 20 times – and chosen to bowl first on all 20 occasions.

Australia v South Africa | Third T20I

“It’s a bit of a common trend, generally speaking, in T20 cricket these days,” Marsh explained.

“You get to assess the conditions, but you also just know what you’re chasing.

“I’m certainly not afraid to bat first. But we have lent towards bowling first.”

That trend is unlikely to change in the ODI opener in Cairns (a day-night game) with dew a major factor in the third T20I on Sunday night.

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad lamented getting the “rot end of the of the conditions” and even blaming Kagiso Rabada’s uncharacteristic beamer to Glenn Maxwell on the soggy outfield.

“The ball was getting really wet,” Conrad said.

“If you said to me that one of the world’s best bowlers was going to bowl a beamer like that, and then the free goes for six, I’d never believe you.”

Now with the start of the elongated 50-over format, one side will be bowling in the far-northern Queensland sunshine and one will be bowling under lights with moisture on the surface of the pristine Cazalys Stadium outfield.

“Playing with dew is not something that we’re used to in Australia,” Marsh said.

“We saw the ball get really soft in Darwin.

“That’s been a different challenge for us.”

Re-live the final over of a thrilling third T20I

Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma is one of the five inclusions for South Africa into their ODI squad along with the likes of veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj, recent Test triple-centurion Wiaan Mulder and top-order batters Matthew Breetzke and Tony de Zorzi. 

Kwena Maphaka, who impressed with nine wickets in the T20 series, was also added to the one-day squad on Monday.

Bavuma hasn’t played since his starring role in the World Test Championship victory over Australia in June, instead taking the time to rehabilitate his injured hamstring which he says is “feeling good”. 

The 35-year-old also hinted at an ODI debut for Dewald Brevis, who dominated the T20s with a 41-ball century in Darwin and a half-century in Cairns.

Dewald Brevis announces himself with blazing 125no

“It’s always exciting when you see the young faces,” Bavuma said on Monday.

“Obviously the big talk has been on Brevis, (he’s been) putting up his hand and showing what he is capable of.

“(I’m) excited to see what he can also bring within the one-day stuff.”

The BKT Tyres ODI series begins in Cairns on Tuesday before moving to Mackay for the final two matches on Friday and Sunday.

BKT Tyres ODI Series – Australia v South Africa

August 19: First ODI v South Africa, Cazalys Stadium, Cairns, 2:30pm AEST

August 22: Second ODI v South Africa, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 2:30pm AEST

August 24: Third ODI v South Africa, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 2:30pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Adam Zampa

South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Kwena Maphaka, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen