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[Watch] What Happened When Australia And South Africa Last Met In WC Semis?

image-lowrxp15AUS defeated SA in the semis of 2007 WC [X.Com]

With India's Comprehensive win over the Netherlands on Sunday, the group stages of the ICC Mens Cricket World Cup 2023 finally concluded. League toppers India, followed by South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, will now compete in the knockout stages.

The first semi-final will be held between India and New Zealand on 15th November at Mumbai. Subsequently, South Africa will clash against Australia for the second and final semi-final round on 16th November in Kolkata.

South Africa and Australia have a lot of history with respect to World Cup clashes. Let's dive deep into 2007 when the duo locked horns in a semi-final game of the ICC Men's ODI Cricket World Cup 2007.

The last time SA met AUS in a World Cup semis

Graeme Smith, the South African skipper, invited Ricky Pointing's side to field first. However, Shaun Tait and Glen McGrath's fury foiled Smith's plan as the pacer duo wreaked havoc. The Proteas lost half their side with just 27 runs on board after the conclusion of the first powerplay.

Regardless, Herschelle Gibbs and Justin Kemp put up a brave front to lift South Africa to a fighting total, but Australian pacers bowled them out for 149. 

Needless to say, the total seemed below par, and Australians were expected to cruise through.

Undoubtedly, Australia lived up to every ounce of expectation with collective efforts from Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke. Interestingly, the Kangaroos chased down the total in mere 31.3 overs to set up a one-sided, comprehensive knockout win.

Later, they met Sri Lanka in the finals to successfully defend their ICC ODI World Cup title. It happened to be yet another Australia-dominated World Cup wherein the defending champions set no foot wrong.

Having said that, times have changed since 2007, and Australia is no longer the initial favorite to win the big trophy. They have had a roller-coaster tournament, and South Africa, on the other hand, witnessed a relatively stronger run. 

Therefore, the second leg of the ongoing World Cup semi-finals would be an interesting game to watch out for. The odds are divided equally, and it's anyone's game to win.