IND vs SA Live Score: There comes a clash of Titans! With India, the table toppers locking Horns with another top team, South Africa. Both are the top teams of the ODI World Cup 2023. India has taken a top spot in the Points table after dismantling Sri Lanka by 302 runs. It was their seventh straight win of the ODI World Cup 2023 which meant that they had already qualified for the semi-finals. On the other hand, South Africa is placed second on the Points table with 12 points. They have looked formidable in the tournament & have dismantled their opponents one after the other. They are expected to provide India with a tough challenge & offer fans a cracker contest to watch.
IND vs SA TEAMS PREVIEW
India Preview
Indian team has managed to disappoint Sri Lanka for the second time with a huge margin. Earlier in the Asia Cup 2023 Final, India wrapped Sri Lanka for 50 runs. And this time they did it by dismantling their batting order for a meager 50 runs. India scored 357-8 after batting first & later their fierce pace attack comprising Shami & Siraj wreaked havoc with the ball to send Sri Lankans home at 55 runs. The inclusion of Mohammed Shami in the lineup has bolstered India’s bowling attack. The veteran pacer didn’t leave this opportunity & returned with 14 wickets at a mind-boggling average of 6.71 and an economy of 4.27.
Before Shami, the wrecker-in-chief was Jasprit Bumrah who returned with 15 wickets in 7 innings at 14.60) and Mohammed Siraj (9 wickets in 7 innings at 34). They also have Kuldeep Yadav (10 wickets in 7 innings at 26.40) and Ravindra Jadeja (9 wickets in 7 innings at 23.33), who have done a brilliant job through the middle overs. In all, India’s bowling attack looks competent enough & will be perfect to dismantle South Africa’s batting order.
In the batting order, Rohit (402 runs in 7 innings at an average of 57.42) and Virat Kohli (442 runs in 7 innings at 88.40) are the backbone of India’s batting order. They will also get valuable support from Shubman Gill (92 off 92 balls) and Shreyas Iyer (82 off 56 balls) who were breathing fire against Sri Lanka. Though KL Rahul had an average run in the tournament so far, we could get to see him breaking all shackles & producing an impactful performance in today’s clash.
India Predicted Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
South Africa Preview
South Africa is marching into this clash on the back of a massive 190-run win against New Zealand at Pune. That marked their sixth win in the tournament & they just need to win this match & win one point to book their spot into the semi-finals. However, they already have 12 points in their kitty & an incredible NRR of 2.290. So even if they lose this fixture they could easily go to the semi-finals.
So far, South Africa batters have been destroying opponents bowling attacks in the World Cup 2023. In the seven fixtures they have played so far, South Africa has managed to post a total of above 300 in almost five teams. This shows their batting prowess & their capability as a lineup. De Kock is a man on mission & the opening batter is the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 545 runs in 7 innings at an average of 77.85.
He is breathing fire & all set to set his name in the Records book by guiding South Africa into the semi-finals. Aiden Markram (362 runs in 7 innings at 60.33) and Rassie van der Dussen (353 runs in 7 innings at 50.42) have provided great stability to the middle order. The opener & middle order set the stage for the lower order which helped Heinrich Klaasen (315 runs in 7 innings at a strike rate of 151.44) and David Miller (220 runs in 7 innings at 129.41) to go berserk at the end. They will aim to go ahead with the same combination & permutations against Indians in this clash.
Among the bowlers, Marco Jansen has displayed a great show in the powerplay overs & keeps taking wickets in almost every fixture. He is among the top wicket-takers in the competition, with 16 scalps to his name.
Kagiso Rabada (11 wickets in 6 innings at 21.36) and Gerald Coetzee (14 wickets in 6 innings at 21.78) have been doing a fantastic job as well. They will aim to continue their good run against Indians knowing the lethal form of their inform batters Virat, Kohli & Gill. Just a win & South Africa will march into the semi-finals of ODI World Cup 2023.
South Africa Predicted Playing XI:
Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
IND vs SA Pitch & Weather Condition
The pitch at the Eden Gardens is perfect for ODI matches. It offers some aid to the pace bowlers & at the same time some turn & bounce for spinners. However, once the batters have surpassed the initial overs they can easily face the bounce & score big runs here. The outfield is vast & boundaries are short aiding the batters to score easily here. The weather in Kolkata will be warm & pleasant during the day.
The average first-inning score will be around 234 at Eden Gardens. The highest total posted here is India’s 404-5 against Sri Lanka in 2014. Though this hasn’t been a high-scoring ground the batting strength on both sides is competent enough to post a total of above 320-330.
Toss: To Bat
Eden Gardens aids a team that opts to bat first. Out of 33 ODIs played here, 19 have been won by the team batting first & 13 by the team chasing the target. The similar was the result for the fixture played between Pakistan & Bangladesh. We think the toss-winning team is likely to bat first in this match.
IND vs SA Winning Prediction
India & South Africa have met five times in the ODI World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue have won two of those fixtures while South Africa has won three of them. But things have changed now as India is unbeaten in the tournament & leading the Points table. While South Africa too has been lethal in the tournament their bowling is not as settled as the Indian team. But at the same time, South Africa has a batting order that can dominate India & put India out of this game. But the home advantage & a balanced lineup put India slightly above Porteas. So according to us, we think India are favorite to win this fixture.
We predict India to win this clash.
Also read, Matt Henry ruled out of ODI World Cup 2023 due to Injury
