Cape Town - The Proteas are set to include leg-spinner, Imran Tahir, in their starting XI for the second one-day international (ODI) against Australia in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

Tahir was omitted form the starting team in Wednesday's 93-run pounding at the hands of the Australians in Centurion. He was left out at the expense of an extra seam-bowler, but according to Die Burger and Beeld newspapers, the Pakistan-born bowler will in all likelihood be included for the second match at St George's Park.

Johan Botha was the Proteas' only specialist spinner in Wednesday's game at SuperSport Park after Robin Peterson was released to play first class cricket for the Cape Cobras against the Dolphins this weekend.

Tahir is expected to partner Botha as the South Africans will look to make the best of a traditionally slow pitch in Port Elizabeth.

Tahir was a star for the Proteas at the World Cup in India earlier this year. He took 14 wickets in only 5 matches, before the South Africans were knocked out in the quarter-finals against New Zealand.

Proteas captain, Hashim Amla, admitted that their batting is the biggest problem thus far. "We're just not stringing together partnerships with the bat. The last couple of games, we've had no big partnerships and that's put a lot of pressure on the middle and lower-order. That's the big thing we need to work on before the next game."

Amla was, however, more pleased with his bowlers' performance at SuperSport Park.

"Luckily our bowlers are starting to find their feet and I think we did quite well (in Centurion).

"Jacques (Kallis) and Dale (Steyn) alleviated the damage slightly at the end of Australia's innings, because things could have been a lot worse," said Amla.