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World Cup 2023 | Head, Starc Set Australia's Date With IND In Final As SA Exit With Fight

image-lp1folfxTravis Head pumped out 62 runs at the top (AP)

Brief Scores: South Africa: 212 all out (49.4 overs) [David Miller: 101 (116), Heinrich Klaasen: 47 (48); Mitchell Starc 3/34 (10), Pat Cummins 3/51 (9.3)] lost to Australia: 215-7 (47.2 overs) [Travis Head: 62 (48), Steve Smith: 30 (62); Tabraiz Shamsi 2/42 (10), Gerald Coetzee 2/47 (9)] by three wickets.

Australia survived a South African scare in the 2023 World Cup semifinal at Eden Gardens, earning a date with India for the title clash.

Miller packs a ton after Starc, Hazelwood’s early burst

Australian pace merchants Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood accounted for a South African each with the new ball to give their side an early advantage in the knockout fixture. While Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma nicked one off Starc in the opening over after deciding to bat first, his in-form partner Quinton de Kock was sent back by Hazlewood owing to Pat Cummins fielding excellence at mid-on.

A tentative South Africa eventually ended their opening powerplay at 18-2, marking the second worst start of the ongoing tournament. Starc and Hazlewood claimed one more wicket each in their extensive opening spells to worsen Proteas troubles at 24-4 in 12 overs.

Thereafter, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller forged a 95-run counterpunch for the fifth wicket, thus taking their side past the 100-run mark before part-timer Travis Head struck twice in succession for Australia. Klaasen made his way back to the pavilion with a near run-a-ball 47 to his name, while Miller evoked late South African surge with his thunderous century in the death overs.

Miller’s fighting resistance, coupled with handy runs from Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada eventually guided South Africa towards a competitive 212.

Among Australian bowlers, Hazlewood finished his spell at 2-12 while Starc returned in the death to pack Keshav Maharaj. Skipper Pat Cummins himself snared three wickets in the innings, all during the final 10 overs to finish at 3-53.

SA puts up fight before Australian tail seals thriller 

Australian openers Travis Head and David Warner pumped out 60 runs from their first six overs itself before the latter got his stumps shattered by South African part-timer Aiden Markram. Head, on the other hand, sustained aggressive approach from his end as he blazed his way to a 48-ball 62 at the top.

His dismissal perpetrated Steve Smith to take a cautious approach while forming handy partnerships with Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Inglis, thus guiding Australia past the 150-run mark. The South Africans kept raging with timely wickets, dismissing Mitchell Marsh for a duck and Glenn Maxwell for a run before Gerald Coetzee accounted for Smith against the run of play.

At 193-7, Mitchell Starc and captain Pat Cummins eventually guided their side past the remaining runs in a tense finish, with less than three overs to spare.