Australia defeated South Africa in the second semifinal at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, November 16, to secure a spot in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup grand final.

The Proteas captain, Temba Bavuma, won the toss and elected to bat first. However, this was a poor move because they only managed 212 runs after playing their allotted 50 overs. 

The South African team was in deep trouble, as they lost their four wickets for just 24 runs in the 12th over. However, David Miller stepped up and took the onus upon himself to sail the sinking ship. First, he partnered with Heinrich Klaasen (47 off 48), and then with the lower middle-order to take the score to a decent total. In the process, Miller also completed his century (101 off 116) before Cummins got the better of him. South Africa only managed 212 runs after playing their allotted 50 overs.

In reply, the Australian openers got off to a scorching start, scoring 60 runs in just 6 overs, giving the mark an air of manageability. Nevertheless, the team lead by Temba Bavuma produced a fantastic comeback to force extra time in the match. But Mitchell Starc and squad captain Pat Cummins made sure they carried the team through. They nudged 22 quiet runs towards the end to get Australia over the line. 

Brief Scores: South Africa 213 in 49.4 overs (Miller 101; Starc 3-34, Cummins 3-51, Halewood 2-12) lost to Australia 215/7 in 47.2 overs (Head 62; Shamsi 2-42) by 3 wickets