The blockbuster Australia vs South Africa World Cup semi-final promises an epic clash between two cricketing titans. This mouthwatering showdown is a repeat of the 1999 and 2007 last-ball thrillers won by Australia.
Now South Africa chase redemption after years of World Cup heartbreak. Securing the Proteas’ first ever World Cup final berth is the mission. But conquering Australia’s unmatched big-match temperament poses the ultimate challenge.
Australia have remarkably peaked after losing their first two matches. Seven straight wins have them perfectly primed for the semis. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh have bludgeoned attacks while Adam Zampa’s 22 wickets lead the tournament.
South Africa have been remarkably consistent with six wins in eight matches. Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram have battered bowling with aggressive strokeplay.
With so much firepower on both sides, fans are guaranteed a classic worthy of Eden Gardens’ iconic status if rain stays away. South Africa crave World Cup glory after previous agony. But ruthlessly clinical Australia live for these high-stakes occasions.
The Proteas sense destiny is on their side this time. Yet beating Australia’s polished approach in tournament knockouts remains South Africa’s final frontier. Hopefully the cricketing gods allow this mouthwatering contest to unfold in full at the iconic venue.
Both teams ooze class and balance. Australia’s big-game experience hands them an edge but South Africa will be up for the fight. Let’s hope fans witness a fabulous semi-final clash for the ages between two outstanding rivals.
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Australia Overview
After a disastrous start, Australia have remarkably peaked leading into the knockouts on the back of seven consecutive wins. Their form reversal caps a tremendous World Cup turnaround. Much of their success has been powered by David Warner and Travis Head’s belligerent opening stands. Despite occasional early struggles, their ability to rebuild has repeatedly flattened attacks.
Warner has amassed over 500 runs already in this tournament including two huge centuries. The veteran left-hander remains one of the most intimidating openers in world cricket when on song. The brutal ball-striking of Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh has added crucial carnage in the middle order. Maxwell’s astonishing unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan was one of the all-time World Cup efforts.
Marsh has also compiled over 400 runs, frequently rescuing Australia from trouble and providing the fireworks when well set. Their monstrous power hitting has terrorized bowling attacks. Adam Zampa’s wicket-taking legspin has been a revelation this tournament, already snaring 22 victims to lead all bowlers. The cagey spinner has bamboozled the world’s best repeatedly.
The vaunted pace trio of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood provide even more firepower. Their sustained aggression and mastery of line, length and seam movement has choked opposition batting. Fielding has also been typically outstanding, typified by Steve Smith’s freakish run out of Devon Conway. Right now, the Aussies have no visible weaknesses in their starting XI.
Injuries are a slight concern given their limited batting reserves. But Green’s all-round skills provide a quality option if required. Tactically shrewd, ruthlessly determined and oozing big-match experience, Australia have hit peak form leading into the semis. But South Africa will back themselves to answer the challenge.
South Africa Overview
South Africa have enjoyed a stellar World Cup thus far, winning six of their eight matches. After the agony of the 1992 and 2015 semi-final washouts, this gifted Proteas squad is determined to finally go all the way. Their batting possesses fearsome firepower, led by Quinton de Kock’s relentless run-scoring. The wicketkeeper-batsman has amassed over 500 runs already, playing some breathtaking knocks. When de Kock fires, South Africa are almost impossible to contain.
Classy Rassie van der Dussen and strokeplaying ace Aiden Markram have also dazzled, compiling over 400 runs each. Markram’s expansive bat swing and audacious shot-making make him a devastating limited overs batsman when on song. Young Henrich Klassen has provided exhilarating cameos, hitting sixes for fun and exhibiting his prodigious talent. Their aggressive batting approach has terrorized bowling attacks.
The pace attack features Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi’s thunderbolts along with Marco Jansen’s left-arm variety. Ngidi regularly exceeds 90 mph while Rabada combines pace, swing and guile flawlessly.
Spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi lend balance, having controlled the middle overs skillfully. Their fingerspin partnership have choked batting teams during the middle phase. Electric fielding provides another major asset with tide-turning catches and run outs executed. Skipper Temba Bavuma’s tactical shrewdness has been a revelation.
Batting depth remains a concern against mighty attacks like Australia’s. But this lineup has the artillery to chase any target or post 350+ batting first. This shapes as arguably South Africa’s most talented ODI squad in decades. Driven to shed their underachiever tag, the Proteas sense destiny is on their side this time round.
Australia vs. South Africa Starting XI for the Semi-Final 2
Expected Starting XI for Australia:
- David Warner,
- Mitchell Marsh,
- Steven Smith,
- Marnus Labuschagne,
- Glenn Maxwell,
- Alex Carey (wk),
- Cameron Green,
- Pat Cummins (c),
- Mitchell Starc,
- Adam Zampa,
- Josh Hazlewood
Expected Starting XI for South Africa:
- Quinton de Kock (wk)
- Temba Bavuma (c)
- Aiden Markram
- Rassie van der Dussen
- Heinrich Klaasen
- David Miller
- Andile Phehlukwayo
- Kagiso Rabada
- Lungi Ngidi
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Keshav Mahara
Australia should retain their settled winning XI. South Africa may opt for Heinrich Klaasen’s extra batting power over Reeza Hendricks. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh will aim to repeat their batting heroics for Australia. Glenn Maxwell hitting top form would also be a frightening proposition.
For South Africa, the key men are likely to be Aiden Markram with the bat and Kagiso Rabada with the ball. Markram is overdue for a big score. Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock is another vital performer for the Proteas. If he fires early, they have the batting lineup to post an imposing total.
Legspinner Adam Zampa’s wicket-taking ability adds crucial balance to Australia’s attack. His battle with South Africa’s star batsmen will be intriguing. Overall these evenly-matched rivals boast no shortage of individual brilliance. But Australia’s extensive big-match experience hands them an advantage that South Africa must overcome.
South Africa’s best chance lies in batting first, with de Kock and Markram posting a huge total for the bowlers to defend. But writing off Australia in tournaments is never wise.
See the confirmed starting lineups below an hour before the match starts.
Australia vs. South Africa Head-to-Head
Australia and South Africa renew their famed ODI rivalry having clashed 109 times previously. The Proteas narrowly lead the overall head-to-head 55-50, with 3 no results and 1 tie. These heavyweights have also collided in seven World Cup matches over the years. Australia holds a tight 4-3 edge from those major tournament encounters.
The 1999 and 2007 last-ball semi-final thrillers both went Australia’s way, inflicting devastating heartbreak on South Africa. Many South African fans still feel the pain of those agonizing defeats. The 1999 tie where South Africa progressed on net run rate and the 2007 blown chase haunt them.
Australia also won their 1992, 2007 and 2015 World Cup pool stage clashes between the nations. South Africa’s three World Cup victories came in 1987, 2013 and 2019. Most recently, Australia took out a tight 2-1 ODI series win on home soil in 2020, with their vaunted bowling attack dismantling South Africa’s batting.
But at the recent 2021 T20 World Cup, South Africa gained some revenge by defeating the Aussies in a nail-biting Super 12 thriller. So while Australia boasts an imposing World Cup record, South Africa have proven they can compete in recent tussles.
Yet beating Australia’s clinical approach in high-pressure tournaments remains South Africa’s final hurdle. The Proteas crave redemption, but Australia live for these crunch moments. South Africa have battled hard this World Cup to reach the semis. But Australia shapes as their toughest test by far. The Aussies will take some stopping in their quest for Cup glory number six.
Weather & Pitch Report
The iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata hosts this blockbuster semi-final on Thursday. But the weather forecast appears quite grim with heavy rain predicted. Showers and thunderstorms are expected for much of the day in Kolkata on Thursday. Up to 30-40mm of rain could fall during match hours, with a 60% chance of heavy precipitation.
If any play does eventuate, the Eden Gardens surface generally favors spinners. The pitch gets progressively slower as the match goes on, making strokeplay increasingly difficult. The ball will grip more off the surface in the second half, bringing wrist spinners like Adam Zampa into the game. Teams will want to avoid letting South Africa’s spinners operate once the ball starts spinning big.
Dew in the evening session tilts the scales towards the side chasing. In ODIs at this venue, sides batting first have only a narrow 21-17 win record. The four World Cup matches at Eden Gardens have seen average first innings totals around 270. The team batting first won three completed games comfortably.
Given the forecast and pitch trends, the best approach seems to be batting first after winning the toss and posting around 270-280. Spin and reverse swing will be key in the second innings. But realistically, the extremely bleak weather outlook leaves very little hope of even getting a shortened match completed. At best, heavy rain interruptions seem guaranteed.
Sadly it appears unlikely that fans will witness a full 100 overs contest between these two outstanding teams. At minimum, any play will require multiple delays and DLS adjustments. In summary, the weather forecast looks dire for what promised to be an enthralling semi-final showdown at an iconic cricket venue. Let’s hope the cricketing gods take pity and allow some absorbing action.
Australia vs. South Africa Prediction for the Semi-Final 2
Given the remarkable form of both teams, predicting this semi-final is no easy task. But Australia’s extensive big-match experience may prove telling if a contest eventuates. Australia’s batting led by Warner, Marsh and Maxwell appears more explosive. South Africa bats deep but lacks comparable power hitters down the order.
Australia also boast superior bowling variety with Starc’s left-arm angle and Zampa’s wickets complementing Cummins and Hazlewood nicely. However, South Africa possesses the strokeplaying genius in de Kock, van der Dussen and Markram to amass 350+ or chase any target. Rabada and Nortje provide a lethal new ball threat too.
The Proteas’ determination to shed their underperforming tag is another strong intangible in their favor. Yet Australia knows how to win World Cups in high pressure situations. If the match goes ahead, South Africa’s best path to victory lies in batting first and posting a huge total for their talented attack to defend.
Quinton de Kock holds the key – if he fires early, South Africa can beat anybody. Their spinners will also be keen to exploit a worn pitch later on. But writing off Australia in tournament knockout games is never wise. Their record in big matches is unmatched in modern cricket.
This promises to be a fabulous contest between two brilliant teams, if the rain stays away. Sadly though, a complete washout could well deny us any action. Provided the weather allows it, Australia’s knockout pedigree and tournament savvy should narrowly see them home in yet another World Cup thriller.
Australia vs. South Africa Betting Tip for Semi-Final 2
With extremely heavy rain forecast, betting on a complete washout makes sense for strong odds. If any play occurs, consider reduced overs bets around totals, match winner etc.
If a full match somehow happens, over 270-280 total runs is advised given the batting talent.
David Warner and Quinton de Kock are top choices to be top match run-scorers for each side. Aiden Markram’s strong form makes him a good top South Africa batsman pick if they bat first. Tabraiz Shamsi could provide value as top South Africa wicket-taker given pitch conditions. Mitchell Starc and Kagiso Rabada appeal as leading wicket-taker bets.
Consider backing the chasing team given potential dew impact in the evening.
South Africa scoring 300+ batting first has appeal if you expect a huge Proteas total. Glenn Maxwell is a tempting man of the match bet if Australia wins, albeit risky.
With heavy rain predicted, be wary of betting on player milestones like 50+ scores.
For a bold punt, David Miller or Glenn Maxwell could hit the most sixes if dew arrives.
In summary, the extremely bleak weather forecast severely reduces pre-match betting options. But some tactical bets around totals or innings runs could still be lucrative if the rain stays away.
Bet on 1 Innings, Tabraiz Shamsi as South Africa’s best bowler at Mostbet at odds 4.00>>
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