World Cup, SA vs AUS semi-final: Bavuma elects to bat
What's the story
Australia are up against South Africa in the second semi-final of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
While the Aussies are known to nail high-pressure games, South Africa hold the choker's tag.
However, both sides would be high on confidence, having won seven of their nine league stage games apiece.
Meanwhile, SA skipper Temba Bavuma has won the toss and elected to bat first.
Conditions
A look at the track conditions
Kolkata's Eden Gardens will host the match on November 16 from 2:00pm IST.
Teams batting first have won 23 out of 39 ODIs played here.
244 reads the average first innings total. India defended the lowest ODI score (195) here against SA (1993).
The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network and live-streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app.
Stats
SA have a 55-50 win-loss record over the Aussies
As per ESPNcricinfo, the two teams have locked horns in 109 ODIs.
Australia have won 50 matches compared to South Africa's 55.
Three games have been tied with one match seeing a no result.
In seven World Cup meetings, the two teams have three wins apiece against each other (Tie: 1).
SA thrashed the Aussies by 134 runs in the 2023 WC league game.
Stats
Here are Australia's key performers
David Warner has hammered 1,491 runs from 27 World Cup matches at an average of 59.64.
Besides Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Glenn Maxwell have smashed centuries in the ongoing competition.
The lone specialist spinner in the entire Aussie squad, Adam Zampa has claimed 22 scalps in the ongoing tournament, the second-most for any bowler.
Josh Hazlewood has claimed 12 scalps.
Stats
Here are South Africa's key performers
Quinton de Kock is making the most of this last ODI World Cup having scored 591 runs in nine matches, slamming four centuries.
Aiden Markram is SA's leading run-getter in ODIs in 2023 with 973 runs at an average of 57.23.
Marco Jansen is their leading wicket-taker this year with 33 scalps.
Kagiso Rabada owns 29 wickets against Australia in just 15 ODIs.
Information
What are the changes?
South Africa have gone with Tabraiz Shamsi as pacer Lungi Ngidi made the way for him. There are two changes in the Australian XI as Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc replace Marcus Stoinis and Sean Abbott.
XIs
Here are the playing XIs
South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock (WK), Temba Bavuma (C), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Australia (Playing XI): Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (WK), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.