ODI World Cup 2023: Australia beats South Africa by 3 wickets

Australia proceeded to the finals of the ODI World Cup after defeating South Africa by 3 wickets with 16 balls remaining. Travis Head scored a half-century while chasing a relatively smaller total of 213 runs. Coincidentally, 213 was the score both teams scored in the 1999 World Cup semi-finals. Skipper, Pat Cummins hit the winning runs to book a clash against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in three days’ time. Here is a recap of the second innings.

Australia go big in the powerplay

David Warner and Travis Head went hard against the South African bowling lineup right from ball one of the chase. The first four overs went for 24 runs as at least one boundary was hit in each over. The fifth and sixth overs from Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen went for 15 and 21 runs respectively. 

Aiden Markram came into the attack in the seventh over. The right-arm off-break bowler struck with his first ball by dismissing Warner. Warner scored 29 runs in 18 balls hitting one four and four sixes. Rabada from the opposite end regained some control and dismissed Mitchell Marsh for a six-ball duck thanks to a great catch from Rassie van der Dussen. Head attacked in the last two overs in the powerplay scoring 13 runs. Australia ended the powerplay with 74 runs on the scoreboard for the loss of two wickets.

Australia build on their start

Gerald Coetzee came into the attack in the 12th over and smashed three consecutive fours to bring up his half-century. Tabraiz Shamsi replaced Coetzee after just one over and created a tough chance at first slip. Heinrich Klassen dropped the catch as Head added another boundary to his score. Keshav Maharaj came into the attack in the 15th over and dismissed the half-centurion with his first ball. Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne built on the start provided by Head. The two batters scored 21 runs in six overs (16-21). 

Shamsi strikes twice to raise hopes

While Smith and Labuschagne were batting things looked bleak for South Africa. Shamsi finally got the much-needed breakthrough by dismissing Labuschagne in the 22nd over. Labuschagne scored 18 runs in 31 balls hitting two fours. In his following over, Shamsi dismissed Maxwell who scored just one run.

Smith and Inglis have a crucial stand

With Shamsi’s double strike, Australia lost half their side with 137 runs on the board needing 76 more runs for victory. The spin duo of Maharaj and Shamsi bowled in tandem and even induced some chances for dismissals but were unlucky to not have dismissed any batter as well as failed in reducing the scoring. Smith and Inglis played cautiously against Maharaj and Shamsi and scored 16 runs in five overs (25-29). Coetzee came back into the attack but was expensive to begin his spell and gave away 13 runs in his first two overs. 

He found success in the 34th over by dismissing Smith. Smith scored 30 runs in 62 balls hitting two fours. Inglis and Mitchell Starc shared a 19-run stand before Coetzee bowled Inglis in the 40th over. The Australian wicket-keeper scored 28 runs in 49 balls hitting three fours. Markram in the 43rd and 45th over created two chances to dismiss Pat Cummins but his fielders let him down by dropping the catches.