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KOLKATA: South Africa sense an opportunity to finally get rid of the choker’s tag but the onerous task entails getting the better of the most successful team in the history of 50-overs World Cup, Australia, in Thursday’s semi-final in Kolkata.
Hurt by a combination of bad luck and nerves in the business end of showpiece event, South Africa are pitted against a powerhouse who thrive in those big moments as Australia have demonstrated with five titles.
The Proteas have made four semi-final appearances in the showpiece — in 1992, 1999, 2007 and 2015 — but have fallen to defeat every time, twice losing to Australia.
In 1999, they lost to Australia after a dramatic tie at Edgbaston which saw their rivals go through due to a better group stage finish.
Eight years later, South Africa went down by seven wickets after being bundled out for just 149 at St Lucia.
Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, however, could be the stage for redemption for South Africa who made the semi-finals by winning seven of their nine league matches.
They have also been racking up impressive totals including the highest score in World Cup history of 428 against Sri Lanka.
The Proteas have won their last four meetings with Australia, including a 134-run thrashing in the league stage in Lucknow four weeks ago.
But South Africa need to be in control of their nerves to be in control of their destiny, and barring the batting meltdown against India, they have looked formidable finishing second in the group stage behind the hosts.
“With the way we’ve performed as a team, it’s obviously created a lot of positive sentiments and obviously high expectation,” skipper Temba Bavuma, who is doubtful for the match with a hamstring strain, told reporters on Wednesday.
“A lot of people believe that this could be the year that we see ourselves in the final. As a team, and individually, we’d like nothing better than that.”
The enormity of the challenge was not lost on Bavuma despite South Africa’s comprehensive victory against Australia last month. Australia began their campaign with back-to-back defeats but have since won seven in a row to waltz into the last four.
“We’re not coming up against a Mickey Mouse team. Australia have a lot of experience and confidence in knockout games like this, so we’ve got to respect that,” Bavuma said. “I think from our performances, from the processes that we’ve followed to get to this point, we’ll continue to lean on that and we believe that will take care of the result.”
Bavuma did not deny a “normal level of anxiety” prevailing in the Proteas dressing room but said they had the “solutions and mechanisms” to deal with that.
Drawing inspiration from South Africa rugby team’s World Cup victory last month is very much part of that mechanism.
“Yeah, definitely. I think to a large degree we look at them in awe — the Springboks and how they’ve gone about their back-to-back wins in the World Cup,” Bavuma said admiring the grit of the rugby team.
“…that’s what we’ve been speaking about as a team that when the crunch moment comes, when the pressure moments come, we come together as a team and we find a way to get over the line.”
Bavuma said they would take a late call on his participation in the match.
“Obviously not 100%… I’m quite confident, but it’s not a unilateral decision that will be made,” he added.
Should he miss the semi-finals, Aiden Markram would lead the side, while Reeza Hendricks is likely to open along side Quinton de Kock, who has smashed four hundreds in his final ODI tournament.
South Africa have looked more comfortable setting targets than chasing one though, and they will expect more penetration from their bowlers against a resurgent Australia.
Travis Head’s return from a hand injury has rejuvenated Australia’s batting lineup, allowing others to play with more freedom, which has been evident in their subsequent group matches.
Glenn Maxwell’s sensational double hundred against Afghanistan and Mitchell Marsh’s unbeaten 177 off 132 balls against Bangladesh are the top two individual scores in this year’s tournament.
For large part of that incendiary knock, Maxwell batted on one leg and had to be rested for their last group match against Bangladesh.
And Australia skipper Pat Cummins said on Wednesday his players will draw on experience from previous title wins, spurred on by Maxwell’s heroics having given them “an extra leg”.
“You start from scratch every time you play,” Cummins told reporters. “They’re a team we’ve played quite a lot and know quite well.
“I think what helps us is we’ve got a lot of guys that have been in this situation before that have won the one-day World Cup, T20 World Cup, various other tournaments in big moments. So, I think that really helps. You can draw on that in the middle of the contest.”
Australia will welcome back fit-again all-rounder Maxwell but Cummins did not reveal whether it would be all-rounder Marcus Stoinis or batter Marnus Labuschagne sitting out.
“As a team you grow an extra leg because you feel like you can win a match from anywhere and having someone like ‘Maxi’ in your team….he’s a superstar, he’s a freak, he can win a game from anywhere. Pretty glad he’s in our team,” Cummins said.
Rain is threatening the contest with downpours forecast in the eastern city on Thursday and during Friday’s reserve day. The final is on Sunday at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
“We’ll turn up, expect to play a 50-over match tomorrow, any of that shifts on us well. I’m sure in real time we can kind of adjust as needed,” said Cummins.
“In terms of a short turnaround, it’s fine. We’ve played lots of ODIs where you’re playing on Friday, flying to a different city playing on the Sunday. So, it’s not too big of a deal.”
Asked if he might like to turn up the heat on South Africa by reminding them of their World Cup choker’s tag, Cummins cracked a mischievous smile and said, “You already have.”