South Africa: And Then There Were Four

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14 November 2023

The league stage has concluded and the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-finalists are just two wins away from lifting the gold.

Log leaders India finished top of the table, and in some style. Unbeaten, with their line-up set and ready, the hosts ended their league campaign with a 160-run win over the Netherlands on Sunday.

Winning five games batting second and four batting first, India have shown they have the balance in the side to go all the way.

Their closest game thus far, though, was against New Zealand. And the Kiwis will be far from interested in getting walked over in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Memories of Old Trafford will give confidence to the visitors as well, who in 2019 made the final of the competition at the expense of the men in blue once the last four stage had struck.

Can they do the same and watch the hosts crumble under pressure, or will Bombay's blue army of fans get India over the line?

In semi-final number two, the pressure-free Proteas take on mighty Australia.

In the league game between the sides, South Africa picked up a massive 134-run win. But since then, the Aussies have found form and looked like the five-time winners of the competition they are.

Beaten only by India and South Africa in their campaign, they have now registered seven wins on the bounce.

Australia will particularly look to trouble a Proteas side that have looked far more comfortable batting second, with the toss in Kolkata uber crucial come Thursday morning.

Both semi-finals kick off at 10:30 live on SuperSport with the final taking place on Sunday 19 November.

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