Australia pulls off 3-wicket win against South Africa in tense semi-final

• Meets India in final at Ahmedabad on Sunday

So, it will be a repetition of the 2003 World Cup final when Australia meets India at Ahmedabad on Sunday.

In comparison to Wednesday’s first World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand where 724 runs were scored, yesterday’s second semi-final between Australia and South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata was simply the opposite with both teams struggling to get the better of the other on a slow turning surface where low scoring was the name of the game.

South Africa choosing to bat first after winning the toss were bundled out for 212 inside 50 overs, but Australia didn’t find run making easy either when they began their run chase on a pitch that had earlier helped the seamers, but now had started to spin as they slid to 174-6. They somehow managed to overcome the pressure to pull off a win in a tense finish scoring 215-7.

Australia who has been through such pressure situations in past World Cups adapted to the situation very well displaying their experience and skill to inch towards a win despite South Africa picking up wickets at regular intervals. The game was kept on a knife’s edge right throughout the Australian innings after the opening stand of 60 between Travis Head (62 off 48 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) and David Warner (29). It was left to wicket-keeper Josh Inglis (28 off 49 balls), Mitchell Starc (16* off 38 balls) and skipper Pat Cummins (14* off 29 balls) to see Australia home with 16 balls to spare to take them to their eighth World Cup final.

It was heartbreak for South Africa who fought tooth and nail to take the game right down to the wire, but in the end were deprived of yet another opportunity to enter a World Cup final for the first time.

South Africa, after opting to bat first, were pushed onto the backfoot by Starc and Josh Hazlewood who cashed in and reduced them to 24/4. But David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen settled down and helped by a rain break, calming the nerves with a 95-run stand. Just when the momentum was turning South Africa’s way, Cummins brought Head to turn his arm over and the opener obliged his captain by taking 2 wickets in 2 balls in his first over to turn things around. Miller hung around and produced his greatest innings ever to give South Africa a sniff in the game scoring a splendid century – 101 off 116 balls (8 fours, 5 sixes). He was particularly severe on leggie Adam Zampa, smashing him for all his five sixes.

Scores: South Africa 212 (49.4) (Heinrich Klaasen 47, David Miller 101, Mitchell Starc 3/34, Josh Hazlewood 2/12, Pat Cummins 3/51, Travis Head 2/21)

Australia 215-7 (47.2) (Travis Head 62, David Warner 29, Steve Smith 30, Josh Inglis 28, Gerald Coetzee 2/47, Tabraiz Shamsi 2/42)