In the second Semi-Final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Australia beat South Africa by three wickets at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Following this win, the five-time winners will meet India in the finals on November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
South African captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bat first, but the decision turned out to be disastrous as none of the Proteas’ batters did not able to score runs against the Aussie pace attack. The top order got toppled down within 22 runs. But some sort of resistance was shown by Heinrich Klassen (47) and David Miller (101) that helped the innings to get stabilize. Both the batters built a partnership of 95 runs, but the Australians advanced an out of the box move by giving ball to Travis Head, and it was a successful one, as he dismissed Klassen and then Marco Jansen on the very next ball. Although on the other side, Miller stood tall and attained his sixth ODI hunderd on a very crucial juncture, but the wickets falling from the other end, did not able South Africa to put more crucial runs, and got all out on 212 runs.
Australia, while chasing got a flying start as both the openers Head (62) and David Warner (29) started to fire with their blade from the word go. Both the openers knit a fiery opening partnership of 60 runs, before Aiden Markram got rid of Warner. After drawing the first blood, the South African bowlers started to deliver some tight bowling spells, but some crucial innings from Steve Smith (30) and Josh Inglis (28) helped the most successful side of the World Cup to get the grip on the game, but the Proteas did not allow them to take the game away rapidly, as some brilliant bowling spells from Tabraiz Shamsi and Gerald Coetzee helped South Africans to be in the game. But the Aussie lower order kept their nerves calm and secured their target of 213 runs in 47.2 overs, and successfully booked their tickets for Ahmedabad on this coming Sunday.
With the ball for the Men-in-Yellow, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins secured three wickets each, whereas Head and Josh Hazlewood scalped two wickets apiece.
For South Africa, Coetzee and Shamsi got two wickets each, and on the other hand, Keshav Maharaj, Markram, and Kagiso Rabada scalped one wicket each.
For his tremendous knock with the bat, Travis Head was adjudged Player of the Match.
Scorecard:
South Africa: 212/10, Overs 49.4, David Miller 101, Mitchell Starc 3/34
India: 215/7, Overs 47.2, Travis Head 62, Tabraiz Shamsi 2/42