South Africa Player Ratings from 2023 World Cup semifinal clash vs Australia as Miller-led Proteas go down fighting
South Africa fought hard but fell short in their 2023 World Cup semifinal clash against Australia as the Kangaroos came up trumps by a narrow three-wicket margin at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, November 16.
Temba Bavuma elected to bat first, and the Aussies made the most of the helpful conditions to put the Proteas under serious pressure. Bavuma's men made 212, a score that was chased down with 16 balls to spare in a thrilling second innings.
On that note, here are South Africa's player ratings from the 2023 World Cup semifinal against Australia.
World Cup 2023: Miller smacks ton, Coetzee and Shamsi lead bowling effort for South Africa
Temba Bavuma: 2/10
Bavuma's wretched run of form in the 2023 World Cup continued as he bagged a duck in the semifinal. His bowling changes were also off the mark, although he set attacking fields throughout and tried to coax Australia's batters into making mistakes.
Quinton de Kock: 4/10
De Kock couldn't add much to his run tally in the tournament, scoring just three before trying to break the shackles with a big hit off Josh Hazlewood. He should've exercised caution against the metronomic pacer. The wicket-keeper was superb with the gloves on for the most part, right until he dropped Pat Cummins in the 45th over.
Rassie van der Dussen: 3/10
Van der Dussen tried to block his way out of trouble, playing out 30 balls for just six runs. He was eventually tempted into a loose drive off Hazlewood that settled in the hands of slip. He plucked a stunner to send back Mitchell Marsh and keep the Protea fight alive.
Aiden Markram: 6/10
Just after the powerplay, Markram attempted another rash drive on the up and found point. He dismissed David Warner to give South Africa their first breakthrough and did his best with the ball.
David Miller: 9.5/10
Miller was a lone warrior for South Africa as he continued his stellar run in ICC knockout matches. The left-hander bridged aggression and patience superbly to make a masterful hundred in challenging conditions, taking the Proteas to a defendable total.
Heinrich Klaasen: 7.5/10
Klaasen seemed to be putting together a fighting partnership with Miller, striking four fours and two sixes in his 47. However, he strangely missed a regulation delivery from Travis Head to be castled. It was a bizarre dismissal from the big-hitting batter.
Marco Jansen: 2/10
Jansen lasted just one ball as a delivery from Head turned back viciously to trap him in front. Despite getting movement with the new ball, the left-armer sprayed it all over the place to give Australia a flying start.
Gerald Coetzee: 8/10
Coetzee bowled his heart out, as he always does. He picked up two wickets to keep South Africa in the game, capping off a memorable tournament for the 23-year-old.
Keshav Maharaj: 7.5/10
Maharaj was accurate throughout his spell but arguably didn't create enough wicket-taking opportunities. The fact that he was introduced late didn't help matters, although he did deceive Travis Head with a beauty.
Kagiso Rabada: 3/10
Rabada's nightmare matchup against David Warner came back to haunt him as he was taken for two fours and four sixes in favorable bowling conditions. The fast bowler did send back Mitchell Marsh, but that was more Van der Dussen's wicket.
Tabraiz Shamsi: 8/10
Shamsi bowled five wides and sent down a few bad balls, but did his job on the whole. He dismissed Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell to give the Proteas some hold over the middle overs.