Cooper Connolly, Matthew Kuhnemann and Michael Neser are the three new faces in Australia’s Test squad for the South Africa tour. Connolly brings left-arm spin and batting depth, Kuhnemann returns after 19 months out of the side, and Neser comes back from a calf injury that kept him out of the Bangladesh series. All three were left out of the squad that toured Bangladesh in August, and selectors have now brought them in specifically for the conditions and challenges this tour presents.
Three New Faces Join the Test Squad
| Player | Role | Test Caps | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Connolly | Batting allrounder, left-arm spin | 1 | New inclusion |
| Matthew Kuhnemann | Left-arm orthodox spinner | 5 | New inclusion |
| Michael Neser | Bowling allrounder, right-arm medium-fast | 5 | New inclusion, returns from injury |
Cooper Connolly, 23, has played one Test, scoring just 4 runs on debut against Sri Lanka in 2025. His first-class numbers read differently: 800 runs at 42.10, plus 13 wickets at an economy of 6.66 in this year’s Big Bash. He was named Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year in 2026 and already has a five-wicket ODI haul against South Africa.
Matthew Kuhnemann, 29, has 25 wickets from 5 Tests at an average of 22.20, including a five-for in India back in 2023. His standout contribution came in Sri Lanka last year, where he took 16 wickets across two Tests at an average of 17.18, driving the series win. He was reported for a suspect bowling action after that tour but passed ICC biomechanics testing and earned his first central contract.
Michael Neser, 36, has 22 wickets in 5 Tests at 18.90 and took 15 wickets in the last Ashes at an average of 19.93, the third most of any Australian in the series. Born in Pretoria, he missed the Bangladesh tour with a calf strain and returns now to a tour of the country of his birth.
Australia South Africa Test Series 2026
This tour carries real weight in the World Test Championship cycle. Australia sit top of the table at 80.00 percent, South Africa second at 75.00. A series win stretches Australia’s lead; South Africa need to defend home advantage just to hold second.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (1st) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 96/120 | 80.00 |
| South Africa (2nd) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 36/48 | 75.00 |
South Africa also hold the psychological edge. They are the reigning WTC champions after beating Australia in the 2025 final at Lord’s, the only Test meeting between these sides since 2018.
Marnus Labuschagne’s Extended Form Slump
Marnus Labuschagne is retained despite a Test average of just 24.69 across his last 43 innings, a steep drop from his career mark of 43.79. His last Test hundred came at Old Trafford in July 2023, and his form has declined every year since, from 34.91 in 2023 down to 20.84 in 2025.
He managed just 1, 31 and 4 against Bangladesh in August, extending a century drought that now stretches 70 innings across all formats. Selector George Bailey acknowledged it has been over two years since his last Test hundred, yet the panel chose experience over a clean break.
Eight Years Since Their Last Meeting
Australia have not toured South Africa for a Test series since 2018, when the hosts won 3-1 in a series remembered for the ball tampering scandal in Cape Town. That eight-year gap ends this month, and six players from that touring party, including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith, remain in the current squad.
What the New Squad Needs to Prove
Selectors framed all three additions around conditions, not reputation. Connolly adds a second spin option for pitches that turn, Kuhnemann offers a left-arm angle to help batters prepare for Keshav Maharaj, and Neser adds seam depth with local knowledge of the conditions he grew up in.
None of the three walks into this tour with anything to lose. Connolly has one Test innings to his name, Kuhnemann has not played since Galle in February 2025, and Neser is coming off injury. The Australia-South Africa Test series 2026 will decide fast whether any of them can hold their place once the senior bowlers are all fit and available again.