Old foes Australia, South Africa clash in semi-final clash today
In this World Cup, there has been little to separate Australia and South Africa. Both lost two matches and won seven games; both collected 14 points in the league
Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell during a practice session ahead of the South Africa match
KOLKATA: There is something about the Australia-South Africa clash which makes the fans be on edge of their seats. Right from the 1999 World Cup semi-final, where Australia tasted ecstasy and South Africa were spiralled into the endless so-close-yet-so-far phase, matches between the two teams have been keenly watched and contested.
Today afternoon, and the Australia-South Africa rivalry will have another chapter added when the two teams clash in the semi-finals of 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, to decide who goes to Ahmedabad for the title clash on Sunday.
In this World Cup, there has been little to separate Australia and South Africa. Both lost two matches and won seven games; both collected 14 points in the league. But the net run rate meant Proteas finished at second ahead of Australia’s third place.
When the two teams played in the league match at Lucknow last month, Quinton de Kock’s sizzling century propelled South Africa to a comfortable 134-run victory. After that, Australia has been on a seven-match winning streak, though they won’t be underestimating the mighty South Africans.
Helping South Africa lead the charge apart from de Kock in the batting have been Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram and David Miller, with Temba Bavuma’s availability still shrouded in mystery. Australia also has a power-packed batting line-up of David Warner, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh.
In the bowling, both teams have capable people to win matches on their own: Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj for South Africa, with Markram being another option, as they have bowled out oppositions seven times.
From Australia, they have stars like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa, with Maxwell, Head and Marsh will be able to roll their arm over, as they bowled out oppositions five times. Both have points of weakness too: South Africa is iffy in chases, while Australia can become thin on middle-order.
