South Africa vs Australia 2016: Analysing the performance of Australia's debutants

#3 Nic Maddinson

Maddinson didn’t have a dream debut as he was bowled by Rabada in the first innings

Maddinson has already played a T20 match for Australia, against India at Rajkot in 2013, where he made a 16-ball 34. An attacking batsmen, Maddinson is just 24 now and needs to grab his chances to fight off the likes of Voges and Kurtis Patterson.

Steven Smith has big hopes for Maddinson and revealed as much while speaking about the young leftie. “On his day he can tear any attack apart," Smith said. "I think he has developed his defence over the last couple of years, from what I have seen he has been playing the ball a lot later and a lot more under his eyes."

Maddinson has hit the most Sheffield Shield sixes in the past five years. A grand total of 37. While Australia are possibly more in need of crease occupying batsmen, Maddinson might fit the bill as a counter attacking option at no.6. Although he has had a modest 2015-16 season in the Sheffield Shield, with 488 runs at an average of 30.50, he has started this season with a 116 against Western Australia.

Performance

Maddinson was the only debutant to miss out on creating an impression at Adelaide. An attacking batsman, he was forced to buckle down by some tight bowling from the Proteas seamers.

Rabada, in the middle of a fine spell, was bowling wide of off stump to Maddinson, setting him up for a yorker. The yorker finally came in the 12th ball he faced, and it was too good for Maddinson. Swinging in late and crashing the middle stump after going past his defences, the debutant had to settle for a duck on his debut. But he will know he was undone by some superb bowling.

Maddinson should get more chances in the middle order and it may come in the series against Pakistan. He will have to make that count to stay in the side.