AUS vs SA 2nd ODI: Tony De Zorzi had replaced Temba Bavuma in South Africa's playing XI for the second ODI against Australia, which is currently being held in Queensland. The South Africa skipper gave the 2nd ODI a miss owing to a hamstring injury, which he had also picked up in the WTC summit clash against the same opponent, and that's why the team management decided to give him the rest.

This gave Zorzi a chance to solidify his position as an opener for the Proteas in ODIs, since he had gone through a lean patch in the last year. But de Zorzi had a disappointing outing since he has been having a hard time providing starts to the team and also converting them into big knocks.

He had scored just 38 runs and was then dismissed by Adam Zampa, who also ended the partnership between him and Matthew Breetzke. It has now been 10 ODI innings since he last scored more than 50 runs, and he might have lost another opportunity to prove his worth as an opener.

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De Zorzi hasn't delivered since the breakout vs India

He was seen as one of the batters who could replace Quinton de Kock as the next opener after playing his debut match against the West Indies way back in March 2023. He also had a dream run during the series against India, as it was the first series after De Kock's retirement.

During the series against India, he had smashed his first hundred in the 50-over format in Gqeberha. After that, he scored 81 runs in Paarl during the second ODI.

South Africa next played an ODI series after 10 months, where Zorzi went through a lean patch. After playing in 10 ODI matches since then, his highest individual score in this format was 38.

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And with Ryan Rickleton and Matthew Breetzke being seen as the next openers for South Africa as they gear up for the 2027 ODI World Cup, time is running out for Tony De Zorzi. If he does get another chance, he would be under immense pressure to convert his start into a big knock.