South Africa Make Changes for Adelaide Test, Watson to Miss

Adelaide: South Africa have made two changes for Thursday's second Test against Australia in Adelaide, bringing in leg-spinner Imran Tahir and all-rounder Faf du Plessis, who will make his debut. Australian all-rounder Shane Watson to miss-out.

Tahir replaces paceman Rory Kleinveldt, who went wicketless in the drawn Brisbane Test, while Du Plessis plays in place of the injured JP Duminy.

Skipper Graeme Smith said Tahir would be the frontline spinner on an Adelaide Oval pitch expected to take wear as the match goes on.

Du Plessis replaces Duminy, who ruptured an Achilles tendon while warming down on Brisbane's Gabba ground after the opening day's play in the first Test.

On otherhand, Australia are unchanged from Brisbane, with Shane Watson's bid to play as a batsman ending predictably on match eve. Ben Hilfenhaus retains his spot ahead of Mitchell Starc, and Rob Quiney has another Test to prove himself at No. 3.

Watson has been troubled by a calf injury and tried this week to prove his fitness after missing the drawn series opener in Brisbane earlier this month.

Rob Quiney, who made his Test debut in place of Watson in Brisbane, is expected to bat again at number three, while left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc remains the 12th man, Clarke said.

The second Test starts on Thursday. South Africa's number one Test ranking is on the line in the three-match series, which concludes next week at the WACA in Perth.

Teams

Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, Ed Cowan, Rob Quiney, Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Matthew Wade (wk), Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc (12th man).

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), Jacques Rudolph, Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir.

Pitch and conditions
Like the Brisbane, the Adelaide Oval surface should provide plenty of runs early in the match, but it is also likely to deteriorate as the game wears on, which will bring the spinners into play. The forecast for the duration of the match is hot and sunny.

Stats and trivia

• The Gabba match was the first draw between these two sides in 14 Tests, the previous one having come at the WACA in December 2005. The teams haven't drawn two consecutive Tests since 1921
• Michael Hussey is in line to play his 75th consecutive Test since his debut in November 2005, but AB de Villiers is in the midst of an even better run and should step out for his 79th consecutive Test since his debut in 2004
• Ricky Ponting has scored more runs at Adelaide Oval than any other Test venue, 1723 at an average of 63.81

Match facts
November 22-26, 2012
Start time 1030 local (0000 GMT)