SA vs AUS: Fields are set & players are ready as the semifinals of the ODI World Cup 2023 are all set to commence from the 15th of November. The first semifinal of the World Cup 2023 will be played between New Zealand & India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. South Africa will take on Australia in the second semifinal of the tournament on 16th November in Kolkata. South Africa ended the group stage on No 3 Position while Australia is just one place below them with the same number of wins & defeats. But they have a slight edge over Australia in terms of ODI World Cup win records. They will aim to continue their good run in the ODI World Cup by winning this fixture against South Africa.
SA vs AUS TEAMS PREVIEW
South Africa Preview
South Africa’s journey in the ODI World Cup 2023 history is quite memorable as despite two losses at the hands of Netherlands & India they have been quite impressive throughout the tournament. Their biggest strength is their batting order & they will try their best to make use of it. However, chasing is something that they are not comfortable with & proteas will look to fix it with finals in the picture.
In the batting order, De Kock will be their biggest bet against the Aussies. He ended the league stage as the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 591 runs at an average of 65.66. He has amassed four tons in the ODI World Cup 2023 & will look ahead to score one more in the crucial knockout. De Kock will get valuable support from Rassie van der Dussen (442 runs in 9 innings at an average of 55.25) and Aiden Markram (396 runs in 9 innings at 49.50) who are also consistent batters of the South African team in the middle order. Klaasen is an impact player who has enjoyed a strike rate of 140 in the tournament. He loves to play against spinners and can be the one who can take on the in-form Adam Zampa.
In the bowling order, Proteas will be dependent on the services of experienced Kagiso Rabada. The prolific bowler has managed to scalp 29 wickets against Australia at an average of 24.96. Coetzee has been the star bowler for Proteas by grabbing 18 wickets at 19.38. Jansen was expensive against India at the Eden Gardens but his knack of scalping wickets can help Proteas to scalp crucial wickets in front of India. On the pitch of Kolkata spinners like Keshav Maharaj can spill magic. He made things difficult for India when they met the last time in the league stage. He will aim to do the same against the Australians.
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
Australia Preview
The saying that Australia’s prowess in World Cups cannot be underestimated has proved true in the ongoing edition of the tournament. After losing their first two matches in the World Cup, the Aussies made a stunning comeback by winning the rest of their seven fixtures & fixing a spot in the semifinals. Australia has a power-pack batting order & depth in their lineup. And Aussies will try to make the best possible use of their strengths against South Africa.
In the batting order, Aussie’s biggest bet will be David Warner. The prolific batter has scored 499 runs at an average of 55.44 & will aim to do the same against Proteas. Then there comes the efforts of Mitchell Marsh who has scored unbeaten 177 runs against Bangladesh. His grit & efforts helped Aussies to set a target of 307 runs with six overs to spare. Travis Head hasn’t been on runs in the tournament so far but he is an attacking batsman & a quick cameo from him can be quite impactful. Australia will expect runs from Steven Smith who hasn’t set the tournament right but his technique will play a crucial role in the middle overs.
In the bowling order, Australia hasn’t been that impressive as except for Zampa none of their batters could prove their prowess with the bat. The leg-spinner is topping the bowling charts this World Cup, having bagged 22 wickets at an average of 18.90. The wicket also provides assistance to Australian pacers, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc. It’s worth noting that they can exert pressure on the mighty African clan.
Australia Predicted Playing XI:
Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marnus Labuschagne/Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
SA vs AUS Pitch & Weather Conditions
The pitch at the Eden Gardens stadium is a slow pitch which provides aid to the batters at the start but as seen as the match progresses the pitch will start helping the spinners. Seamers will have to bowl perfect length cutters to be successful on this pitch. Batting second won’t be easy here as the ball will move around under lights and the pitch will become tougher to bat on. The weather here will be cloudy on match day with little chance of rain. But the showers will not be sufficient to hamper the match.
Toss to Bat
Three out of four matches played at the Eden Gardens in the World Cup have been won by the team batting first. Thus the venue is completely towards the batting side & considering the records on this pitch both the teams will aim to bat first if they win the toss.
SA vs AUS Winning Prediction
Australia & South Africa have produced memorable fixtures over the years & this one promises to be another thriller. The last time these two teams met, it was the Proteas who crushed Australia by 134 runs. But after that things have changed & Australia is not the same team who have lost initial fixtures. Australia is always difficult to beat in the knockouts & will be high on confidence with their winning streak. South Africa’s batters make them a formidable unit, but they fail to chase targets & if they are handed the task of chasing then it will be an advantage for Australia.
If South Africa wins the toss & bat first then they will have a good chance of posting a huge total on board for the Aussies to chase. This will certainly increase their winning chances & if unfortunately, they get the task of chasing the target then Australia can easily win the fixture as they are comfortable in defending & chasing both.
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