South Africa will be squaring off against Australia in the second semi-final match of the ongoing ODI World Cup on Thursday at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. South Africa finished second in the group stage and won 7 out of 9 played in the league. They had 14 points with a net run rate (NRR) of (+)1.261.
Australia and South Africa have faced each other 7 times in ICC ODI Cricket World Cup competitions, where Australia won 3, South Africa won 3, and one match was tied.As a semifinal clash with Australia approaches on Thursday, it is time for South Africa to confront the ghost of World Cups past. There are regrets galore, especially when it comes to knockout matches and Australia.
From needing 22 runs off 13 balls when showers interrupted play, Brian McMillan and Dave Richardson returned to the crease with an impossible task of getting 21 runs from one delivery.Two quarterfinal defeats, in 1996 and 2011, and semifinal slip in 2015, add to South Africa’s nightmares. These repeated reverses have led to many terming the national team as “chokers.Australia was whipped by South Africa in the league stage, but there is no sense of panic among Pat Cummins’ men, who, just like their predecessors, know how to turn it on when it matters most.Rain could pose the only dampener in what should be a thrilling contest.
