In Semi-Final 2 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, South Africa will take on the five-time World Cup winner, Australia, tomorrow, November 16, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata at 2 PM IST.
While Semi-Final 1 is taking place currently in Mumbai, let’s take a look at the other semi-final battle. The Proteas have been one of the strongest contenders after the home team to lift the title, as they have claimed seven wins in this tournament, with the only losses coming against India and, surprisingly, the Netherlands. The team, which not many pundits regarded as the top four in the competition, has, out of nowhere, bagged the eyeballs of many. SA possesses a strong batting lineup, which many witnessed as they smashed the highest score of 428 in the World Cup against Sri Lanka along with 399 against England. The likes of Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, and Quinton de Kock have all been incredible in the ongoing campaign. The wicketkeeper-batter, who is competing in his farewell ODI event, has been on top of his game, scoring 591 runs in the league stage. Furthermore, skipper Temba Bavuma‘s inclusion is also uncertain as he suffered a hamstring injury against Afghanistan. Talking about bowlers, the Proteas have succeeded in replacing the injured Anrich Nortje, as Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada stepped up amazingly well. Coetzee has secured 18 wickets in the tournament’s league stage, while Jansen has bagged 17 wickets.
On the other hand, the mighty Aussies got off to a sluggish start in the World Cup. The side witnessed back-to-back defeats to India and the Proteas towards the beginning of the campaign, which harmed their standing. However, the five-time WC winners quickly recovered as they defeated Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Netherlands, and New Zealand consecutively. David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, and Travis Head have all scored runs for Australia. Not to forget Maxwell’s single-handed, humongous, memorable, and match-winning knock against Afghanistan, along with Marsh’s 173 against Bangladesh, have been a treat to fans. While Mitchell Starc may not be among the wickets, he still possesses firepower at the start of the innings. Moreover, Adam Zampa‘s 22-wicket total in the league stage has the five-time winners pegged as favourites.
Head-to-Head:
Australia and South Africa have met in 109 ODIs. Out of these, Australia have won 50, while South Africa have triumphed on 55 occasions. One match ended without any result, and three matches ended in a tie.
Both nations have taken on each other in seven matches in ODI World Cup events in which both teams claimed victory in three matches each, while one match concluded in a tie.
Where to watch:
TV: Star Sports
OTT: Disney+ Hotstar