In the illustrious history of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and with recent encounters before this tournament, both these rivals are well acquainted with each other.
Date and Venue: Thursday, November 16, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Summary:
An exciting clash is set to unfold in Kolkata as two formidable teams, in great form, face each other in a knockout match that will determine who advances in the crucial tournament decider on Sunday.
During the group stages, both teams suffered only two losses each, with South Africa losing to India and the hosts Netherlands, and Australia facing defeats against Proteas and Afghanistan.
A one-sided affair ensued when these two teams clashed over a month ago in Lucknow, where Quinton de Kock’s century secured a comfortable 134-run victory for South Africa.
Australia is now playing with increased confidence, with Glenn Maxwell’s heroics with the bat and Adam Zampa’s dream run with the ball is some of the tournament’s highlights so far.
While the match played in Eden Gardens earlier this month saw India restricting South Africa to just 83 runs, this time, a high-scoring encounter can be expected given the strength in both Proteas and Australia’s batting lineup.
This implies that the toss could be crucial in determining who takes the upper hand, as both sides will be eager to showcase their strong top six and set a big score while batting first.
In this stage of the tournament, Australia has historically triumphed over South Africa in the 1999 and 2007 editions of the World Cup, and captain Pat Cummins’ team will be looking to inflict more pain on the Proteas and progress further.
However, Temba Bavuma’s allegations have already proven to be a significant force in this tournament, and he should be counted on to perform well. An epic showdown awaits.
Teams:
South Africa – Temba Bavuma (Captain), Quinton de Kock, Gerald Coetzee, Riza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Henrik Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
Australia – Pat Cummins (Captain), 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.
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata, West Bengal, India – An international cricket stadium established in 1864, it is India’s oldest, second-largest, and the world’s third-largest cricket stadium, currently with a capacity of 68,000.
Key Players:
- Quinton de Kock (South Africa): The left-handed batsman has been highly effective, scoring four centuries in the tournament and becoming the leading run-scorer with a total of 591 runs.
- David Warner (Australia): With 499 runs and an impressive average of 50, Warner has prepared another strong World Cup for his country.
- Marco Jansen (South Africa): In this year’s edition, the fast bowler Jansen has not been as effective as expected, taking a total of 17 wickets with a notable average of 24.41.
- Adam Zampa (Australia): Zampa has taken more than 22 wickets, making it challenging for opposition left-handed batsmen. His role will be crucial in reducing the threat posed by in-form leg-spinners against South Africa’s strong batting lineup.
