South Africa train on pitch not offered to Australia before Durban Test
Australia used nets behind Kingsmead for their first two days of preparation and will delay naming their side until before the toss.
South Africa have practised on a centre-wicket surface at Kingsmead that was not made available to Australia, whose opening two days of training in Durban were held in nets behind the ground.
The hosts used the pitch from the first ODI, played a fortnight earlier, after nets were moved onto the field for their afternoon session. Australia were understood to have been offered another outer pitch, but not the one South Africa used.
Overnight rain prevented Australia from using the square during their morning session, while conditions allowed South Africa to train there later. In the practice nets, Australia's pace bowlers avoided balls that were close to new because of the movement they were getting.
Australia will assess how dry the Test pitch becomes and its likely assistance for spin before selecting their team ahead of the toss. Coach Andrew McDonald has indicated a high threshold for choosing Matt Kuhnemann as a second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon.
The tourists also need to choose between Cooper Connolly and Nic Maddinson to replace the injured Cameron Green. Connolly offers a spin-bowling option, while Maddinson has been out of the Test team for almost 10 years.
