The five-time winner, Australia, will play South Africa on Thursday, November 16, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the second World Cup 2023 semifinal. The winner of this contest will face the winner of the 1st semi-finalist in the final on November 19.
With the exception of those shocking losses to the Netherlands and India by 243 runs, they had been incredibly strong in this World Cup. When they bat first, their batting lineup is their greatest asset. Still, chasing gives them a restless feeling. They will need to exercise caution when they move into the knockout stages.
It is said that Australia should never be written off in a World Cup. Many had written them off after they lost their opening two World Cup matches. But they have orchestrated the most spectacular of comebacks, winning seven games in a row to propel them into the semifinals.
South Africa’s primary hitter, Quinton de Kock, will be watched out for in the semifinals. He amassed an incredible 591 runs at an average of 65.66, making him the second-highest run scorer in the competition. The other two middle-order batters are Aiden Markram (396 runs in 9 innings at 49.50) and Rassie van der Dussen (442 runs in 9 innings at an average of 55.25). Impact player Heinrich Klaasen has been hitting the ball at 140 in this competition.
Kagiso Rabada leads South Africa’s well-rounded bowling attack with 29 wickets in matches against Australia. But Gerald Coetzee, who has taken 18 wickets at 19.38 this year, has been the team’s most impressive bowler. Although Marco Jansen costs a lot of money when playing India at Eden Gardens, he may be useful and has a propensity for taking wickets.
David Warner has been among the runners-up and has amassed 499 runs with an average of 55.44. Then there’s Mitchell Marsh, who just scored an incredible 177 from 132 balls against Bangladesh without losing. Travis Head is an attacking batsman, and even a brief appearance from him may have an impact. Steve Smith should also get some runs for the Australians.
With 22 wickets taken at an average of 18.90 throughout the World Cup, Adam Zampa is leading the bowling charts. Additionally, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc, three Australian seamers, will benefit from this pitch. Whether they can put pressure on the formidable South African batting unit is still to be seen.
Date & Time – November 16, 02:00 PM LOCAL
Venue – Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Pitch Report
The Eden Gardens surface in Kolkata often results in high-scoring games and is hitter-friendly. But later in the game, it could give spin bowlers a chance to make an impact and heighten the tension in the struggle. With the new ball, the hallowed turf can also be effective because it can provide carry.
Squads
Australia Squad: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins(c), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Alex Carey, Cameron Green
South Africa Squad: Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Reeza Hendricks, Tabraiz Shamsi, Marco Jansen
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