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A couple of rest days for Australia before they head off to the biggest stadium in the world for the final against India. After 47 games, we have got our two semi finalists and they have been the two best teams on display. India are on a 10 match winning spree while the Aussies have won 8 consecutive games. It promises to be a cracker jack of a contest. Like always, it was a pleasure bringing all the live coverage from this semi-final. Till the one final dance on Sunday, this is myself (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator Shashwat Kumar.
Australia yet again showing their mettle and proving why they are one of the most dangerous sides in the tournament. They know the recipe to win world tournaments and India will be wary of that. The Aussies were surely tested today but they were ahead in the game for the majority and in the end the duo of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc saw them through. Not many would have given them a chance after two below par performances in their first couple of games but they turned it around and how. They are just a couple of days away from the prospect of lifting their 6th World Cup trophy.
For South Africa, it was again so near yet so far. Despite being one of the finest cricketing nations, they are yet to qualify for the finals of any World Cups and the wait continues. Quinton de Kock couldn't bow out on a winning note. There will be questions raised on South Africa's dismal record in the World Cup but they gave their all to be honest. Coming back from 24/4 is always a tough challenge and they did that courtesy of a special century from David Miller. A score of 212 definitely gave them a realistic chance but in the end, Australia just about did enough to qualify for yet another World Cup final.
Pat Cummins (Australia captain): I think it's easier out there than sitting in the dug out. It was madness for the last two hours but in the end it was a great effort from the bowlers. We expected the ball to turn, it was a bit gloomy so I wasn't to upset after losing the toss. Someting we talk about a lot. We weren't up to scratch at the start of the tournament. David Warner fielding the way he did at 37 was exceptional. Travis has a nack of finding the wickets. This has been a trend in the tournament and Travis was the man today. Just played that beautifully. He looked in total control, particularly against the top-quality spinners (speaking on the innings of Josh Inglis). I don't know really. Few of us have been there in the final before, a few in the T20 fina. We have got to embrace that. The crowd will be pretty one-sided but that's the challenge. 2015 has been my career highlight. To be out there playing another final in the biggest stadium in the world, we are very happy as an unit.
Temba Bavuma (South Africa captain): Yeah, quite hard to put into words. Firstly congratulate to Australia. I think they were outstanding for the large part of the match and deserved the victory. 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. 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. 70 in the first 10 overs allowed the other guys to play themselves. Aiden getting that wicket and Keshav and all the other guys were terrific in those conditions. We felt it was competitive but we needed a lot of things to go our way. We had chances, tough chances which we put down. Could have been a bit more proactive, it doesn't take away the fact that Australia played superbly. Definitely as a young guy, Coetzee was really the warrior. For the seamers, it wasn't happening much. He kept on going despite the cramps. He will be a big asset for South African cricket going forward. Quinton had a wonderful tournament. We wanted to end on a winning note. I am sure that despite not getting the result, he has enjoyed the game. He will go down as a legend in South African cricket.
Its time for the captains to have a chat.
Travis Head, Player of the Match: (On the tense finish) Hard to unpack all of that. Did not move for the last couple of hours. Tense finish, amazing game. We knew how the pitch was going to play and how we were going to adapt. We had 3-4 days, and you think about how you are going to play leading up to it. We have not seen it take as much spin, had to play it differently. Was a grind and a battle. (On recovery from a broken hand) It was a real factor, I thought I was not going to be here. Happy to contribute and will have another opportunity in a couple of days' time. (On the Klaasen wicket) It was as straight as they come. He (Klaasen) is an unbelievable player. When he went back to back (fours), I was under the pump. Not sure how that went past him. Have to be prepared to bowl a few overs, and I am always keen to bowl a few overs. (On his powerplay approach) We have always had that positive approach, against the pace bowling, trying to get ahead of the rate. Disappointed with how I got out, it was my match-up against left-arm spin. (On facing India) I have got to be on. They have an unbelievable attack, and that is why you play, against the best team in the competition, their bowlers have looked sharp and I need to be sharp too.
Match Summary:
Australia win by 3 wickets (with 16 deliveries to spare) and advances to the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup
Travis Head 62(48) | Mitchell Starc 3/34(10) David Miller 101(116) | Tabraiz Shamsi 2/42(10)
The Australian openers came out with a positive frame of mind and went on the attack right from the opening over. Both David Warner and Travis Head took the attack to the South African new ball bowlers and clattered them to all parts of Eden Gardens. Head started the charge and Warner followed quite. Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee were at the receiving end of an onslaught from the two openers. Fours and sixes kept flowing as Australia raced off to 60 in just 6 overs. It was the introduction of Aiden Markram which gave South Africa some sort of control in the game. He castled David Warner with a turning off break on the very first delivery of his spell.
It was a screamer from Rassie van der Dussen which brought about the downfall of Mitchell Marsh. Travis Head continued in his own flashy manner, striking boundaries consistently. This time it was the introduction of Keshav Maharaj who broke the partnership. A tossed up delivery around off turned back sharply to sneak through the defence of Travis Head. The pressure kept mounting for the Aussies as both Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi imparted prodigious turn and had the batters in trouble.
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne tried to resurrect the innings but an uncharacteristic shot from Marnus brought about his departure. An attempted reverse sweep was the reason behind his downfall while Shamsi went on a run as he dismissed Glenn Maxwell in a short span of time. All of a sudden, the South Africans had their tails up and the Aussies looked under serious pressure.
Josh Inglis looked the most comfortable batter against the spinners and his assuredness in the crease gave Smith the confidence. An important partnership was building when Smith went for an ugly hack and ended up top edging one straight to the wicketkeeper. With 39 runs still needed, South Africa again started to believe but Josh Inglis had other plans. He put on a small yet impactful stand with Mitchell Starc before getting castled by a beautiful yorker from Gerald Coetzee.
The calm and composed head of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins ensured that Australia weathered the storm and eventually reached the target with 16 deliveries to spare. Quinton de Kock missed a fairly difficult chance and that all but sealed the game for the Aussies. They kept milking it around for singles and it was Cummins who guided one back of a length delivery past the backward point fielder to seal the deal for the five time champions. They are back to where they belong. The final of a World Cup awaits them yet again.
Cummins gets the job done for the Aussies as they win by 3 wickets. Take nothing away from a spirited effort from the Proteas. They did a remarkable job in defending the below par score of 212 and in the end, the Aussies just about did enough to win the game. They will now meet India at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The pair of Cummins and Starc held their nerves in the end and saw it through for their team.
47.2 Marco Jansen to Pat Cummins, CAPTAIN CUMMINS DOES IT FOR AUSTRALIA! THEY WILL PLAY INDIA IN THE FINAL ON SUNDAY! SOUTH AFRICA CRASH OUT AT THE PENULTIMATE HURDLE, YET AGAIN! Banged in short again, but Jansen offers a hint of width this time. Cummins rides the bounce, opens his bat face and steers it past backward point. Races away to the fence, and Cummins, understandably, is delighted. South Africa, not quite. They will again go back with a sinking feeling of what might have been!
47.1 Marco Jansen to Pat Cummins, hard length on leg stump. Cummins is tucked up for room and fends it back to the bowler
Video
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Q de Kock
D Warner
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Eden Gardens, Kolkata
