Last Update on: November 16th, 2023 at 04:11 pm
South Africa is currently taking on Australia in the second semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2023 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, November 16. However, the match in the knockout stage could be affected by rain, according to the weather forecast.
The toss took place at the scheduled time despite the rain prediction for the game. South African skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first in the semi-final clash. However, Bavuma’s decision backfired, as the team lost four wickets in quick succession.
Australian bowlers exploited the overhead conditions and troubled South African batters with tight bowling. Mitchell Starc provided an early breakthrough by dismissing Bavuma. Josh Hazlewood picked up the wicket of in-form batter Quinton de Kock for three runs.
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Accuweather predicts a seven percent chance of rain throughout the day, with cloudy conditions and potential benefits for seamers. Although rain is expected to stay away for most of the day, there is a prediction of a 75% chance of rainfall starting at 7 PM in Kolkata.
In case the match doesn’t happen on Thursday, the match will go to reserve day on Friday. However, the Met Department predicts high rain chances on Friday. If the match gets washed out, South Africa will advance to the finals, having finished higher in the table.
Both teams secured 14 points with seven wins in nine league games to qualify for the semi-finals. Despite both teams having the same points, South Africa finished second due to a higher net run rate (+1.261), while Australia secured the third position with an NRR of +0.841.
South Africa vs Australia Playing XI
Temba Bavuma chose to include two frontline spinners for the semi-final clash, bringing in Tabraiz Shamsi to support Keshav Maharaj. Meanwhile, Australia opted for Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc, replacing Marcus Stoinis and Sean Abbott in their playing XI.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi
Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
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