Four innings is very little to judge a player on, but in three of them in this series Nic Maddinson has looked out of his depth. His second-innings 48 off 38 balls in Durban was an encouraging response to the 33-ball duck on the opening day of the series, but the twin dismissals against Kagiso Rabada were loose strokes. At the very least, he has looked like what he is: a batter who hadn't played a first-class match in 19 months when called up. He did not bat on the centre wicket on Sunday. There may well be a Test player in there if he goes back and dominates the Sheffield Shield as New South Wales captain, but the decision to call him into the squad looks no less surprising now than it did at the start of the month.

It seems futile to hark back to the time when Marnus Labuschagne was a 60-average Test batter, because it's so long ago. It was a heady height to maintain, but it's nearly four years since that mark was hit and two-and-a-half years since it dipped below 50. The manner of his second-innings dismissal in Gqeberha, trying to loft into a gale-force wind, was the shot of a batter not thinking clearly, or at the very least desperate to escape the 30s. It is tough to make a case that he should still be in the Test side although he has soaked up the third-most deliveries for Australia this series and that brings some value. There may have been a hint of a final chance from Pat Cummins when he spoke about the must-win nature of this week then having a bit of a break before facing New Zealand. Australia may view it as similar to when he was asked to open in last year's WTC final, which was a last chance before being dropped. He was not among the first group to bat at Sunday's training and did not appear to have his usual boundless energy. If he's left out again, the road back is very tough.

Despite Matt Renshaw's brilliant Test at No. 5 in Durban, Cameron Green has been a big loss for Australia over the first two Tests. He is a massive part of the future and had impressed in the two matches against Bangladesh in August, suggesting that No. 5 was his long-term home. Having confirmed he's fit for the decider, he will slot back in and he could reclaim No. 5. However, there's still the issue that he hasn't had an innings in nearly a month and is known as a rhythm batter. Coming in relatively cold against Rabada and Marco Jansen is a tough ask. The other factor is he won't be able to bowl which may affect the balance of the side.

Josh Inglis' tour was interrupted by a fractured finger during the ODI series which saw him return to Perth for a short period before rejoining the squad in Gqeberha. He was in the mix for that Test and will certainly come into discussions again this time should the selectors opt for multiple changes to the batting order. However, after making a century on Test debut against Sri Lanka in early 2025, he has not passed 32 in his next six innings.

In Beau Webster's first eight Tests he made five half-centuries and pulled Australia out of some tricky situations. His next four matches have brought a top score of 39 not out in seven innings. The question for the selectors is whether he's being found out at Test level. But he's a multi-dimensional cricketer. When Josh Hazlewood was ill during the second Test he bowled 19 overs which were economical and the ability to allow the frontline quicks to rest will be important if only three play at Newlands. However, he's only taken one wicket in his last six bowling innings.

It's perhaps easy to forget Cooper Connolly is on this tour. When Australia needed a batting replacement for Durban, he was overlooked in favour of an order reshuffle that moved Renshaw to No. 5 and brought Maddinson in at the top. But he remains a highly regarded player and his selection would appease those who are desperate for an injection of youth into the Test side. In his favour is that he's an excellent player of pace and in a short career has shown his ability to rise to some big occasions. South Africa would surely test him early with spin, though. His own left-arm spin may help his case if Australia look to rebalance their set of allrounders, or again leave out Nathan Lyon.

"At what point does he become undroppable, or is he there already," a reporter asked Pat Cummins after the second Test. "It's a good question," was the reply, before he expressed his love for Scott Boland. It would be remarkable, but entirely possible, for Boland to be left despite taking 5 for 81 and being Australia's second top-scorer of the match in Gqeberha. He was again impressive during a centre-wicket net session on Sunday.

Nathan Lyon has not been left out of consecutive Tests when available since 2013. When South Africa were 110 for 6 in Gqeberha the decision looked spot on, and it's impossible to know whether Lyon's presence would have stopped their march to over 400. Spin numbers don't favour him at Newlands, but if there wasn't significance assistance he would still be able to play a holding role to allow the quicks to rotate.