[Watch] A young fan replicates Sourav Ganguly's iconic Lord's balcony shirtless celebration at Eden Gardens during AUS vs SA 2023 World Cup semis
A young cricket fan in the Eden Garden stands has replicated Sourav Ganguly's famous Lord's balcony shirtless celebration during the second semi-final match of the 2023 World Cup between Australia and South Africa. It was an evenly contested match on a tricky surface, as it went down to the wire in the second innings.
South Africa opted to bat first but were bundled out for 212 in 49.4 overs. Australia then started well with a 60-run opening partnership in just six overs. The Proteas spinners then put brakes on the scoring rate and managed to get timely breakthroughs, bringing their side back in contention.
The crowd at Eden Gardens loved the intense action between the bat and the ball. They were involved in the game, cheering loudly for every crucial moment in the second innings. An interesting incident transpired around the 40th over after South African pacer Gerald Coetzee cleaned up Josh Inglis and reduced Australia to 193/7.
A young kid in the stands was seen celebrating the wicket by removing his shirt and twirling it passionately. It brought back the memories of Sourav Ganguly's celebration in Lord's balcony after India won the Natwest series final in 2002 to everyone.
You can watch the moment in the below posts:
"Our character came through there"- South Africa captain Temba Bavuma after loss in semi-final of 2023 World Cup
At the post-match presentation, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma lauded his teammates for showing fighting spirit in the 2023 World Cup semi-final against Australia. Reflecting on the loss, he said:
"Our character came through there. Was a bit of a dog fight. The start with bat and ball put us on the backfoot and we had to play catch up from there. The conditions combined with the quality of the attack. They really put us under pressure and when you are 24/4, you will struggle to get to a good score.
Bavuma added:
"Definitely, we were gaining some confidence with the partnership of Klaasen and Miller. We would have wanted Klaasen to go a bit further as he can turn the match on it's head. Miller batted quite brilliantly in difficult conditions. We definitely felt we had a chance."
Australia will now take on India in the final of the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad on Sunday (November 19). The hosts defeated the 2015 champions by four wickets when the two sides met earlier in the group stages in Chennai.
Australia, on the other hand, got the better of India in the only time the two sides squared off in a ODI World Cup final back in 2003. Ricky Ponting's men beat India by 125 runs on that occasion.