Pitch and weather: Another black-soil surface at Eden Gardens promises turn for the spinners and sluggish but true bounce for the quicks, if the events of England’s group-stage win over Pakistan are anything to go by. The X-factor on this occasion could be the weather, with rain potentially entering the equation, depending on which app you use for your radar.
There is, at least, a reserve day, so South Africa should be spared some of the permutation-based agonies that have chequered their World Cup history. “We’ll turn up expecting to play a 50-over match tomorrow,” Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, said. “If that shifts on us, we can adjust as needed. It feels like it hasn’t really rained here for the last couple of months, so to see the weather looking like that for two days is not ideal.”
South Africa vs Australia Highlights 2023, ICC CWC 2023 2nd Semi-Final, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Thursday 16-11-2023.
Temba Bavuma says weather came into his thinking, but going with the team’s strength. Says he’s not 100% fit. “Will have to be good enough,” he adds.
Pat Cummins says he would have batted first as well, but notes the overheads that may help with the ball. Marnus Labuschagne makes the cut ahead of Marcus Stoinis.
South Africa win the toss and will bat first.
South Africa team: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi
Australia team: 1 Travis Head, 2 David Warner, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Josh Inglis (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood
Head to Head In ODI’s: 109
South Africa Won: 55
Australia Won: 50
South Africa ODI Rankings: 3rd
Australia ODI Rankings: 2nd
Form guide
(last five completed ODI’s, most recent first)
South Africa WLWWW
Australia WWWWW
Match Timings: 8:30 AM GMT | 2:00 PM Local
Umpires – Richard Illingworth, Rod Tucker
TV Umpire – Joel Wilson
Match Referee – Andy Pycroft
Reserve Umpire – Adrian Holdstock
Match number – ODI no. 4703
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2023 Fixture
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2023 Squads
Post Match Presentation
Temba Bavuma:
“Quite hard to put into word. Congrats to Australia, all the best for them in the final. They were outstanding for a large part of the game and thoroughly deserved victory. [Fight] Our character came through. It was a dog fight. The way we started with the bat and the ball was probably the turning point, we lost it quite badly there. [Top-order collapse] Conditions and the quality of the attack. They were ruthless. Presented with the conditions but they really put us under pressure. [Klaasen dismissal] We were gaining momentum at that point, we’ve seen how destructive he can be in the latter part of the innings.
David Miller showed what he can do as a player and his mentality. Would have liked to have bowled better, it allowed the other batters to play themselves in. Shamsi was terrific, we were competitive but we needed a lot to go right. We had chances – tough chances – but we put them down. Could have been more proactive but you need things to go your way. [Coetzee] As a young guy he was a warrior. There wasn’t much happening for him to bowl like that and get the wicket of Smith, get us back into the game. He kept on going until he was cramping. [De Kock] Outstanding tournament. Would have wanted to end on a different note, but he’ll remember the fight we showed as a team. We’ve enjoyed playing with him, in SA he will go down as a legend of the game.”
Pat Cummins:
“Easier than sitting in the dugout. Nerve-wracking couple of hours but great effort and a great game. We thought it would spin quite a bit. Wasn’t expecting Starcy and Josh to bowl so much early. [Lost toss] Bit gloomy, swinging around so wasn’t too upset. [Fielding] Something we talk a lot about. Wasn’t up to scratch at the start of the tournament. Davey, 37, diving around, incredible. And the big two up front were incredible.
[Head] Has this knack of finding a wicket. Been different bowlers chip in through the whole tournament. [Inglis] Played that beautifully. He looked in control against two really good spinners on a tough wicket. The good thing is a few of us have been there for finals before. Got to embrace it, the stadium is going to be packed, pretty one-sided but got to embrace it. The 2015 World Cup was a career highlight, so to be out there in a final in India, can’t wait.”
Travis Head is named Player of the Match:
“Hard to unpack all of that. Tense finish, amazing game. [Surface] We knew how it was going to play. Having had three or four days here, you go to bed and think about it. The wickets have been unbelievable, haven’t seen much spin but we knew it was going to be a grind. [Broken hand] Thought I wasn’t going to be here, just want to contribute for Australia.
[Klaasen ball] Straight as they come. I was under the pump, not sure how it got through. Seeing the wicket, was prepared to bowl a few overs. Always keen. [Attack with bat] We’ve had that positive approach, trying to get ahead of the rate. Disappointed to get out how I did, that’s the match-up for me but it wasn’t to be. [India] Unbelievable attack. Never dreamed of being in a World Cup final against the team of the comp so far.”
