Stubbs is under threat because two rivals are stacking up hundreds while he has barely batted since November 2025. His record at first drop is still the best of anyone in contention, yet David Bedingham and Marques Ackerman have turned this year into a run-scoring spree. With probably only one place open in the XI when Australia arrive, their form points straight at the slot Stubbs has held since August 2024. Shukri Conrad must now pick between a proven method and red-hot momentum.
Strong Returns at First Drop, Little Recent Cricket
Across 14 Tests, Stubbs has 759 runs at 31.62 with two hundreds, a line that undersells his work since Conrad handed him the No. 3 job in August 2024. He has batted there in 7 of his 12 Test innings and averages 48.36 in the position. That spell includes a century against Bangladesh and a 94 in his latest Test, in India.
The problem is the calendar, not the quality. His last Test finished on 14 November 2025, and his only red-ball outing since was a single match for the Warriors against the Cobras, worth 46 and 11. Selectors have almost nothing current to judge him on this season.
Tristan Stubbs No 3 Australia Test series 2026
South Africa host Australia in three Tests starting on 9 October, and the squad picture now revolves around one slot. Bedingham and Ackerman are both expected to be named, but the XI may only have room for one of them.
Neither man is seen as a like-for-like replacement elsewhere in the order. Both are viewed as middle-order or first-drop options, which aims their runs squarely at the incumbent. That’s the awkward part, because his numbers in the role still top the field. Losing the spot through inactivity rather than failure would be a harsh way to go.
Bedingham’s Twin Hundreds and County Volume
David Bedingham has 15 Tests behind him, averaging 36.00 with a century in Hamilton, yet he was left out of the Pakistan and India tours in late 2025. He answered by scoring runs almost everywhere he went.
With Durham in the 2026 County Championship, he passed 1,000 runs and helped win promotion to Division 1. Back home, he struck 129 and 114 for Western Province against the Dolphins at Newlands, crossing 10,000 first-class career runs along the way. Conrad himself was watching from the stands for the first of those hundreds.
That’s the profile of a batter who took his omission personally. Seven hundreds in 2026 across two competitions leave selectors little room to argue he lacks current output.
Ackerman’s A-Team Runs Demand Attention
Marques Ackerman is 30 and uncapped, but he’s in the best form of his career. He made 173 for SA A against the England Lions, 256 against Bangladesh A at Tuks Oval and 107 off 88 balls for the Dolphins against Western Province at Newlands.
He also points to an earlier 134 in Bengaluru against an Indian attack of Test strength as proof he can handle international bowling. At this stage, he says he understands his game and his career path better than ever.
Batter | Tests | Test Average | 2026 First-Class Runs | 2026 Hundreds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tristan Stubbs | 14 | 31.62 (48.36 at No 3) | 57 (2 innings) | 0 |
David Bedingham | 15 | 36.00 | 1,272 (Durham + WP) | 7 |
Marques Ackerman | 0 | N/A | 536 (3 headline knocks) | 3 |
The gap in current volume is stark. Stubbs has 57 first-class runs this year from two innings, while his two challengers have combined for more than 1,800 runs and ten hundreds.
The Call Conrad Must Make at Kingsmead
Conrad first picked Stubbs at first drop for his technique and temperament against the new ball, not for weight of runs, and 48.36 has largely proved him right. Form still counts, though. Two batters are now producing the kind of volume Stubbs hasn’t managed since November.
The Durban opener on 9 October will reveal whether Conrad trusts method over momentum. Sticking with the role’s best performer would be an act of faith, while promoting Bedingham or Ackerman would reward the hottest bats in the country. Whichever way he leans, the debate around Tristan Stubbs No. 3 Australia Test series 2026 selection will be settled before a ball is bowled.
Would you keep Stubbs at first drop on his 48.36 average, or hand the job to Bedingham or Ackerman on current form? Tell us in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who bats at number three for South Africa in Tests?
Tristan Stubbs has held South Africa’s first-drop spot since August 2024. He averages 48.36 there, although David Bedingham and Marques Ackerman are both pushing for selection and only one may fit into the XI.
When does South Africa’s home series against Australia begin?
The first Test starts on 9 October 2026 at Kingsmead in Durban. Gqeberha hosts the second from 18 October and Cape Town the third from 27 October, all within the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle.
Is David Bedingham in South Africa’s Test squad?
Bedingham is widely expected to be named once the squad is announced. He hit twin centuries for Western Province and scored over 1,000 runs for Durham in 2026 after missing the Pakistan and India tours.
What is Stubbs’ career Test batting average?
Stubbs averages 31.62 across his 14 Tests. In the first-drop role, that figure climbs to 48.36 from 7 of his last 12 Test innings, a spell that includes a century against Bangladesh and 94 in India.
Who is Marques Ackerman?
Marques Ackerman is a 30-year-old left-handed Dolphins batter yet to play a Test. He forced his way into contention in 2026 with 173 for SA A against the England Lions, 256 against Bangladesh A, and 107 against Western Province.