India won by 70 runs. Shami took 7/57. Mitchell made 134.
India to the Final.
NZ to the drawing board - 5 wins, 5 losses and an inability to compete with the teams in the top 4 reflected the gap between them and the better sides. Too much of the batting was left to Ravindra and Mitchell - they made over 1,100 runs between them at better than a run a ball. Conway and Phillips scored 650 between them (also at better than a run a ball) but the runs and the strike rates tailed off outisde those players. On the bowling side of the ledger, they couldn't get good teams out - they bowled Australia out but only because Australia was thrashing its way to a huge total (and for reasons that are elusive, Mitchell and Marnus batted like they were Graham Yallop in the early days of ODI cricket and thus placed the middle order under extreme pressure to slog) and managed only 15 wickets in their other 4 losses (India twice, SA and Pakistan).
ODI World Cup 2023
The covers are coming off in preparation for the game - but this photo of Eden Gardens on X (Twitter) a few minutes ago isn't too promising: https://twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo/status ... 8951726304
"Not only did Zampa finish the group stage with the most wickets out of all bowlers (22), he's easily been the most effective during the middle overs with his 17 wickets in that period four ahead of the next best players.
And Australia have needed him to be.
The second-best Aussie in that period of the innings has been Pat Cummins with six wickets. Glenn Maxwell is third with only four.
Zampa's dominance isn't a surprise for team management, it's been a consistent theme since the 2019 World Cup, with Zampa's 75 middle-overs wickets the most by any one player in ODIs and way ahead of the next best, India's Kuldeep Yadav with 65."
(J. Schonafinger, cricket.com.au)
And Australia have needed him to be.
The second-best Aussie in that period of the innings has been Pat Cummins with six wickets. Glenn Maxwell is third with only four.
Zampa's dominance isn't a surprise for team management, it's been a consistent theme since the 2019 World Cup, with Zampa's 75 middle-overs wickets the most by any one player in ODIs and way ahead of the next best, India's Kuldeep Yadav with 65."
(J. Schonafinger, cricket.com.au)
Before the toss...
Cummins had won 4 out of 9, Bavuma 2 out of 9.
Bavuma said the weather influenced his call. (But S. Africa and Oz have been atrocious chasing anyway.)
Will it turn into a T20 slogathon??
Oz need to get QdK out quickly.
S. Africa will like their chances, knowing the records batting 1st vs 2nd. Plus Oz's poor middle-order batting. Plus FTB Smith is the bunny of both Rabada & Maharaj.
Sheesh... Will the spinners be able to grip the ball? Oz rely so much on Zampa.
Cummins had won 4 out of 9, Bavuma 2 out of 9.
Bavuma said the weather influenced his call. (But S. Africa and Oz have been atrocious chasing anyway.)
Will it turn into a T20 slogathon??
Oz need to get QdK out quickly.
S. Africa will like their chances, knowing the records batting 1st vs 2nd. Plus Oz's poor middle-order batting. Plus FTB Smith is the bunny of both Rabada & Maharaj.
Sheesh... Will the spinners be able to grip the ball? Oz rely so much on Zampa.
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stui magpie
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