🏏 Cricket World Cup 2023: 2 Semi-Final: Australia vs South Africa 🏏

Last night, we witnessed the match of historical prominence with awe!

Perfect ten wins in ten outings!

King got a big hug from God himself and a tender flying kiss to her best half from the stands. A bow here and a blessing from God himself; a big smile here and a blowing kiss from there—millions have witnessed these fond exchanges!

Another match-winning performance by a determined bowler who stepped in when the match was about to slip from India's hands, stood there with a profusely sweating face, took the mantle into his hands, and broke the backbone of the other side by beating their wickets, forcing them to perform a beating retreat from the dreamy final!

That is the story so far!!

Now let's watch today's interesting match between two highly aggressive contenders!

🏏 Cricket World Cup 2023: 2nd Semi-Final: Australia vs South Africa 🏏

Even after playing two different brands of cricket in the early stages of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, South Africa and Australia finished on level terms after the group stage and will be facing each other in the second semi-finals today, November 16 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Both teams have been two of the most formidable sides in this World Cup so far, winning even matches out of nine matches played.

Both teams will meet each other for the third time in the World Cup semi-finals.

South Africa will be looking forward to their first World Cup final, whereas Australia will try to get into their eighth World Cup final.

Australia is the most decorated team in ODI World Cup history, with five wins under their belt. With both teams boasting some destructive batting prowess along with some brilliant bowling in their arsenals, this match will be a treat to watch.

The iconic Eden Gardens will witness history being rewritten when South Africa and Australia will lock horns in the second semi-final .

The Proteas have made four semi-final appearances in the showpiece—in 1992, 1999, 2007, and 2015—but have fallen to defeat every time, twice losing to Australia.

In 1999, they lost to Australia after a dramatic tie at Edgbaston, which saw their rivals go through due to a better group stage finish.

Eight years later, South Africa went down by seven wickets after being bundled out for just 149 at St Lucia.

Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, however, could be the stage for redemption for South Africa, which made the semi-finals by winning seven of their nine league matches.

Tag Credit: Sutapasima

Edited by Viswasruti - a day ago

Australia 3-3 South Africa

1992 World Cup: South Africa beat Australia by 9 wickets

1999 World Cup: Australia beat South Africa by 5 Wickets in Super Six Stage

1999 World Cup: Match Tied – Australia made it to the finals due to better NRR

2007 World Cup: Australia beat South Africa by 83 runs in group-stage game

2007 World Cup: Australia beat South Africa by 7 wickets in the semi-final

2019 World Cup: South Africa defeated Australia by 10 runs

2023 World Cup: South Africa defeated Australia by 134 runs

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams

The Australians had their own hamstring issue to worry about, but a scan cleared Glenn Maxwell to play. He sustained the injury while pretending to be a monster emerging from a primordial swamp at the Wankhede last Tuesday. That's an interpretation of how Maxwell looked during the death throes of his undefeated 201 off 128 against Afghanistan. It was less an innings than a feat of human excellence and endurance, but much of it was not a pretty sight.

Neither is Eden Gardens easy on the eye. It's a concrete and plastic bowl that gets its magic not from appearance but from ambience. Australia have yet to play here during this tournament, but on November 5 South Africa served as fodder for one of India's nine victories in the league stage. Their bad bowling gifted Virat Kohli a century on his 35th birthday and they crashed to defeat by 243 runs, their worst ever loss in all 668 of their ODIs.

The febrile atmosphere that prevailed that day, and in the streets all around in the days leading up to the match, has been absent this week. Sometimes even Eden Park is just another cricket ground.

Eden Gardens, Kolkata Pitch Report

The surface at Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens offers a balanced surface for both batters and bowlers. England successfully defended 338 runs against England in the last game here, while India thrashed South Africa by 243 runs in the previous games. Batters have enjoyed a good record while batting first at this venue, and South Africa will be looking to chase later in this game.

Pacers can expect a good amount of bounce with a new ball, as fans witnessed in the last two games, but it is likely to be a high-scoring clash on Thursday.

What to expect: As the South Africans limbered up for their training session on Tuesday, Kagiso Rabada and Tabraiz Shamsi walked to the middle to take a look at the pitch. While they were talking, Rabada mimicked a left-arm wrist spinner's delivery. Is another Eden Gardens turner in the offing? Thursday's forecast promises a sunny 33 degrees Celsius.

Eden Gardens Records and Stats

Total ODI Matches: 39

Matches won batting first: 23

Matches won bowling first: 15

Average first innings score: 244

Average second innings score: 199

Highest total scored: 404/5 by India vs Sri Lanka

Highest score chased: 317/3 by India vs Sri Lanka

Lowest total recorded: 63/10 by India Women vs England Women

Lowest total defended: 195/10 by India vs South Africa

The Australians had their own hamstring issue to worry about, but a scan cleared Glenn Maxwell to play. He sustained the injury while pretending to be a monster emerging from a primordial swamp at the Wankhede last Tuesday.

That's an interpretation of how Maxwell looked during the death throes of his undefeated 201 off 128 against Afghanistan. It was less an innings than a feat of human excellence and endurance, but much of it was not a pretty sight.

Neither is Eden Gardens easy on the eyes. It's a concrete and plastic bowl that gets its magic not from appearance but from ambience.

Australia have yet to play here during this tournament, but on November 5 South Africa served as fodder for one of India's nine victories in the league stage. Their bad bowling gifted Virat Kohli a century on his 35th birthday, and they crashed to defeat by 243 runs, their worst ever loss in all 668 of their ODIs.

Thanks for the tag Madhu.

May the best team win.

Cheers..

Teams:

Australia

Stand by for the return of Glenn Maxwell, who missed the game against Bangladesh in Pune on Saturday to recover from his superhuman exertion in scoring an undefeated 201 off 128 against Afghanistan at the Wankhede on November 7. Sean Abbott could make a way.

Tactics & strategy

The Australians are a team transformed after they lost their first two matches in the tournament, including a 134-run defeat by South Africa in Lucknow on October 12. They haven't been beaten since, reeling off seven victories and looking more like the Aussies of old with each passing win, four of them achieved batting first.

David Warner and Mitchell Marsh were among the top run scorers at the tournament after the league stage with Glenn Maxwell lurking at No. 11. Adam Zampa is the World Cup's leading wicket-taker, with 22 strikes at an average of 18.90.

Thanks for the tag, Madhuri.🤗

I want to support Aussies but I’m still thinking of them against India in the finals isn’t the best idea.🤔🤷🏻‍♀️

Go SA