History has been unkind to South Africa when it comes to World Cup Semi-finals. Think 1992, 1999, 2007, 2015. It was only in 2007 that they were emphatically beaten at the hands of their 2023 semifinal opponents Australia. Entering every global tournament South Africa have always looked like a side that could go the full distance – but they lose steam every time, invoking the dreaded ‘C’ word. But this edition was slightly different –despite the fact four of their batters averaged over 50 in the last year, not many bet on them to make the top four. The injury to Anrich Nortje, then Sisanda Magala forcing the entry of Gerald Cortzee to go with rookie Marco Jansen to partner Kagiso Rabada and a threadbare spin attack meant, SA looked weak to the build-up to the tournament. But they started the tournament with a bang changing the early trends quite quickly.
Australia, on the other hand, have all the history behind them. This is their ninth semi-final appearance – the most for any team in World Cups- and they have lost one once in their last eight semi-final appearances. However, they came into the tournament with a whole lot of uncertainty, not like the Australian teams of the past. Their skipper – Pat Cummins – is just two ODIs old as a captain, and dwindling returns of their talismans Steve Smith, David Warner and Travis’ Head’s unavailability put a real spanner in their works. And their start to the campaign was as terrible as it could get.
Race Against Time for Temba Bavuma as South Africa Fret Over Skipper’s Fitness Ahead of Australia Semifinal
Now, one and a half months later, South Africa and Australia stand one step closer to the final. Uptill this point in time, the Choker narrative has not been talked up and Australia have bounced back Australia does, winning seven matches on the bounce. Adam Zampa tops the wicket-takers tally while Cortzee and Jansen occupy the third and sixth spots. Quinton De Kock, who averaged a mere 30 leading up to the tournament and in his final ODI assignment, is the second-highest run-scorer and Rassie Van Der Dussen, who, along with QDK, was not part of the four SA batters who had averaged over 50, is seventh currently in the list of most run-getters. For Australia, the veteran David Warner, in his last legs as an international player has racked up 499 runs and is fifth in the list, while makeshift opener Mitchell Marsh is in the top 10.
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That brings us to Eden Gardens, the venue of the second semifinal of the ICC Cricket World Cup. The venue South Africa made an international comeback in 1991 after 30 years of isolation from the Apartheid regime. The venue Australia tasted World Cup glory for the first time in 1987.
History is weighing down on this one clash. But history is not something both Pat Cummins and Temba Bavuma want to delve into much. They want to focus on the present and in present Cummins knows South Africa has one up on Australia after the lop-sided contest in the league stages in Lucknow. Cummins knows Heinrich Klassen is one of the best players against spin and the most destructive, alongside Aiden Markram and David Miller, in the last 10 overs.
The two teams had met in an ODI series before the World Cup and Australia lost the series 2-3, conceding three on the trot.
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“They’re a team we’ve played quite a lot and know quite well. But as you said, this week it’s probably going to be quite different to say the South African series that we just played against them a couple of months ago,” Cummins said of the familiarity with their opponents.
Temba Bavuma was more cautious when talking about the Aussies. “You know, we’re not coming up against a Mickey Mouse team. Australia have a lot of experience and confidence in knockout games like this, so we’ve got to respect that.”
And that is what Cummins will be banking on – experience – and the confidence to make the finals from this position more often than not. “What helps us is we’ve got a lot of guys that have been in this situation before that have won one day World Cup, T20 World Cup, various other tournaments in big moments. So, I think that helps. You can draw on that in the middle of the contest.”
And experience is what South Africa is lacking, dare say a bit of the rub of the green as well.
“I think there’s only two guys in this group that have gone into a semi-final, Quinton, and David Miller, so there’s not a lot of experience from all the other guys, said Bavuma, adding, “In a state of mind, obviously a bit nervous of the game. It will be our first semi-final as a team. But I think the feeling is no different I guess from any game that we’ve encountered within the World Cup.”
“There’s been an acknowledgement of the emotions (nervousness). I don’t think you can deny or run away with that, but there’s also been I guess solutions or mechanisms that have been given as to how to deal with that anxiety if you feel that it overwhelms yourself. And I think that advice also flows to the senior players,” he adds.
While Bavuma has no qualms in admitting that there is a bit of anxiety within the camp, Cummins exuded a far more relaxed demeanour. “I think with experience, just keeping it pretty chilled and business as usual for our group seems to be the way to go. So, you draw back on those past wins but you also just draw back on the last few weeks and know that us at our best is good enough. So, you don’t need to try and push it too hard. But I think there’s a quiet confidence and I think our team plays our best when we’ve got that.
And this is what will it all boil down to ultimately – holding your nerves, once again, South Africa would know history has been unkind to them, but who knows that might change tomorrow.
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