After beginning off beautifully in a modest chase of 213, the Aussies nosedived however recovered properly courtesy an outstanding battle from decrease middle-order batters to get out of the jail on the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
With the win, the five-time champions Australia entered their eighth remaining whereas for South Africa it was one other heartbreaking fifth World Cup semi-final defeat.
On a testing turner, David Miller absorbed excessive stress on method to a rearguard 101 and take South Africa to a preventing 212 after shedding their first 4 wickets for twenty-four runs.
It was a beneath par complete however the Proteas did a make a match out of it with a spirited bowling effort earlier than Australia, as they usually do, held their nerve to shut out the sport in 47.2 overs.
Dwelling with the chokers’ tag for many years, South Africa got here up quick in one other ICC knockout sport however have been in a position to take the sport proper all the way down to the wire. They dropped as many as 5 robust catching probabilities, proving to be the distinction in a low-scoring sport.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins (14 not out off 29) and Mitchell Starc (16 not out off 38) survived some tense moments earlier than taking the staff over the road.
As It Happened
The win extends Australia’s exceptional run within the event, having bounced again from defeats of their first two video games towards India and South Africa.
Australia started the chase on an aggressive with Travis Head (62 off 48), and his opening companion David Warner (29 off 18) slamming 60 runs within the first six overs.
South African spinners introduced their staff into the sport with Aiden Markram (1/23) dismissing David Warner and Keshav Maharaj (1/24) ending Head’s keep within the center.
Leftarm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (2/42) then additional sophisticated the issues by taking two massive wickets of Maruns Labuschagne (18) and the harmful Glenn Maxwell to boost the competition.
At 137/5, Australia had Steve Smith and Josh Inglis within the center and 74 runs to get earlier than Gerald Coetzee (2/47) introduced one other twist into the sport with twin strikes.
In the long run, the expertise of Cummins and Starc got here in helpful.
Earlier, underneath gloomy and windy situations, South Africa confirmed acquainted indicators of choking when their top-four Quinton De Kock (3), Temba Bavuma (0), Rassie van der Dussen (6) and Aiden Markram (10) departed cheaply to have them reeling at 24/4 in 12 overs.
Mitchell Starc (10-1-34-3) and Josh Hazlewood (8-3-12-2) have been respiratory fireplace making full use of the situations, however after a 40-minute rain delay, it was the Miller present.
Miller’s 116 ball-effort was his sixth ODI century and the primary one for Proteas in a World Cup knock-out sport.
The southpaw took a blow on his finger from a Josh Hazlewood snorter, however he remained regular and unleashed his ‘Killer-mode’ smashing eight fours and 5 sixes.
On a turning wicket, Miller had little hassle and was brutal particularly towards Adam Zampa who leaked 55 runs from his seven overs.
He reached the three-figure mark by hitting Pat Cummins over sq. leg for a 94-metre six.
His 95-run partnership with Heinrich Klaasen (47 off 48) gave South Africa the much-needed respite earlier than part-time off-spinner Travis Head turned it on taking two wickets in two balls to dent South Africa’s restoration.
After Klaasen, Gerald Coetzee (19) gave a high quality assist to Miller as they put collectively fast fifty-plus partnership for the seventh wicket.
Nevertheless it had a nightmarish finish as Coetzee fell on the pull to Cummins flicking off the glove by means of to Josh Inglis. Replays confirmed the ball solely hit his elbow, however he did not take the evaluation.
Working out of companions, Miller lastly perished within the forty eighth over.
Having misplaced two of their matches whereas chasing, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma backed their energy to bat first nevertheless it turned out to be a tempo bowlers’ paradise.
Australian new-ball bowling duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood revelled within the situations, letting the ball do the speak in a sensational bowling show up entrance to cut back the power-packed South Africa to 17/2 inside powerplay, their slowest since 2008.
There was ominous swing, steep bounce and South African openers appeared timid towards Starc and Hazlewood, consuming as many as 50 dot balls in first 10 overs.
It was not simply the bowling duo, however Australia’s razor sharp fielding by Marnus Labuschange and David Warner saved at the very least 15-20 runs contained in the ring.
Off form Temba Bavuma performed with out being 100 per cent match, and appeared tentative within the first over towards Starc, lastly perishing for a four-ball duck when he poked one behind the stumps.
The packed Eden spectators who got here sporting De Kock jerseys have been in for a disappointment because the staff’s greatest batter of the event Quinton De Kock (3) succumbed to scoreboard stress.
(With inputs from PTI)
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