Australia and South Africa to face each other in 2nd semifinal today

Australia and South Africa are poised for a crucial showdown in the second semi-final at the expansive Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This matchup gains significance due to the starkly different ODI World Cup histories of the two teams, Australia stands as the tournament’s most successful side, boasting five titles, while South Africa has often found itself falling short, labelled a perennial underachiever.

As the teams step onto the field, their past encounters and overall performances in the World Cup become pivotal factors that could shape the outcome of this semi-final. Of particular note is South Africa, whose history of past defeats might cast a heavy shadow on their performance in today’s match. Addressing this aspect in a pre-match press conference, Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, acknowledged the challenges faced by their opponents. He emphasized the fortune of Australia’s players in having experienced such situations frequently, allowing them to approach the match with a blend of understanding and excitement for the challenge at hand. Cummins highlighted the unique narrative that seems to unfold each World Cup, underscoring South Africa’s historical struggle to achieve their set objectives in the tournament.

Squad of today’s match

Australia:  Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (C), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (C), Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi.

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