On November 16, at Kolkata’s famed Eden Gardens, South Africa and Australia will square off in the second semifinal of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. After a stalemate in their 1999 encounter at Edgbaston and an Australian victory over South Africa in 2007 in Saint Lucia by seven wickets, the two will play each other in the semi-finals for the third time.
After winning seven straight games, Australia enters the match victorious over Afghanistan, where they overcame 91/7 to chase 292 thanks to an amazing double century from Glenn Maxwell. Over the course of the competition, they batted well, scoring more than 350 three times.
With 499 runs scored in just five games, David Warner has emerged as their go-to hitter. With one more run, he will become the second player to score over 500 runs in the World Cup on two separate occasions, behind only Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell, who have scored 426 and 397 runs, respectively.Adam Zampa has taken the most wickets in the bowling department out of 22 players in the competition. In order to secure another final berth, Australia will want to win the match.
On the other side, South Africa enters the match fresh off a fantastic campaign in which they also won seven games, one of which was against Australia. They’ll be looking to break the curse as they haven’t won any of their four prior semi-final appearances.
Their journey is best summed up by having their lowest ODI World Cup total ever bowled out after scoring the highest-ever score.
Rassie van der Dussen has scored 442 runs, Aiden Markram 396, and Quinton de Kock has been in the best form of his life, hitting 591 runs in nine games and recording four hundreds. Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen have taken 18 and 17 wickets, respectively, in the bowling department.
Against Australia, South Africa Head-to-Head: In 109 meetings between the two sides, South Africa has triumphed 55 times, while Australia has done so 50 times. One match ended in a draw, and three matches resulted in ties.
| Matches Played | South Africa Won | Australia Won | Tied | NR |
| 109 | 55 | 50 | 3 | 1 |
Statistics and Records for One-Day Internationals at Eden Gardens: In 35 games held here, pacers have claimed 269 wickets at an average of 34.28, while spin bowlers have taken 180 wickets at an average of 32.88. First-batting teams have won 20 games, second-batting teams have won 13, and one game has ended in a draw. Here, 240 is the average first-batting score.
| Matches Played | 35 |
| Won Batting First | 21 |
| Won Batting Second | 13 |
| Average First Innings Score | 240 |
| Highest Team Totals | 404 |
| Lowest team Totals | 83 |
| Match Won after winning toss | 20 |
| Match Won after losing toss | 14 |
| Highest Successful Chase | 317 |
| Tied | 0 |
| NR | 1 |
Australia’s David Warner is the X-factor for South Africa vs. Australia.
Australia’s star hitter in pivotal moments will be David Warner. He will be essential in facing a potent South Africa team because he has amassed 499 runs in eight games throughout this tournament, including two straight hundreds.
Quinton de Kock, South Africa
With five hundred and ninety-one runs in nine games, Quinton de Kock has come into this tournament full of fire. He is the South African batter with the most runs scored in World Cups, and he will be crucial to their success in the semi-finals.
The Big Guys to Watch Out For: Mitchell Starc vs. Quinton de Kock
Starc has dismissed de Kock four times in 142 balls throughout their 13-inning match, with 89 of those being dot balls. At an average of 28.25, de Kock has scored 113 runs. How de Kock responds to Starc’s early counterattack will be interesting to see.
David Warner contrary to Lungi Ngidi
After five innings of play between the two, Ngidi emerges victorious with four wickets in 41 balls, of which 31 were dot. With an average of 5.75, David Warner has only managed to score 23 runs against the pacer.
South Africa vs Australia Probable XI:
Australia: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis/Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis/Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (WK), Temba Bavuma (C), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi/Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi
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