KOLKATA: Travis Head starred with bat and ball as Australia set up a World Cup final clash with India after a tense three-wicket win over South Africa in Kolkata
on Thursday.
Chasing a tricky 213 for victory, Australia wobbled after Head hit 62 but Steve Smith (30) and Josh Inglis (28) helped the five-time champions reach their target with 16 balls to spare in the second semifinal in Kolkata.
As Australia reached an eighth World Cup final, South Africa were left to rue a fifth semifinal loss despite David Miller’s 101.
Australia slipped to 137-5 and then 193-7 before Mitchell Starc (16) and skipper Pat Cummins (14) kept their nerve to steer the
team home.
Left-hand batsman and part-time off-spinner Head stood out after taking two wickets and then with his 48-ball innings laced with nine fours and two sixes.
Australia were in trouble when they were five down as spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi struck in quick succession to rattle the middle-order.
Maharaj bowled Head, who was dropped on 40 and 57, and Shamsi, a left-arm wrist spinner, trapped Marnus Labuschagne lbw for 18 and bowled Glenn Maxwell for one in his next over.
Australia started the tournament with two losses but registered their eighth straight win.
Starc led the bowling charge with figures of 3-34 and Cummins also picked three wickets to bowl out South Africa for 212 in 49.4 overs.
Left-arm quick Starc struck in the first over to send back South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who had said he was not “100 percent fit” at the toss, for a fourth-ball duck.
Josh Hazlewood claimed the wicket of in-form Quinton de Kock for three as Cummins took a stunning catch.
De Kock, who will quit one-day international after the World Cup, ended with 594 runs including four centuries to sit behind the tournament’s leading batsman Virat Kohli (711).
The new-ball bowlers kept up the attack with the wickets of Aiden Markram (10) and Rassie van der Dussen (six) as South Africa slumped to 24-4 and were 44-4 when rain interrupted play.
Klaasen and Miller hit back after the 45-minute rain break as the two put on 95 runs but Head broke through to bowl Klaasen for 47.
Head trapped Marco Jansen lbw on the next delivery to be on a hat trick, which was saved by Gerald Coetzee, who put on a 53-run partnership with Miller.
The left-handed Miller smashed eight fours and five sixes in his 116-ball knock.
The final is on Sunday at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
Head to the fore as Australia set up World Cup final against India
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Head to the fore as Australia set up World Cup final against India
- The final is on Sunday at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad
Skipper Salman Agha says Pakistan ‘always ready’ for India despite late green light
- Biggest and most lucrative clash in world cricket has sold out the 35,000-capacity R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo
- The hugely-anticipated match could be hit by bad weather, with rain forecast for Sunday evening
COLOMBO: Pakistan skipper Salman Agha said Saturday his team had been “always ready” to face India on Sunday at the T20 World Cup, despite only being given the green light a few days ago.
The biggest and most lucrative clash in world cricket has sold out the 35,000-capacity R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo with hundreds of millions more expected to watch on television.
The game was only confirmed as going ahead late on Monday night after the Islamabad government made a U-turn on its an order to boycott the blockbuster Group A game.
“This is a very big game and the magnitude is huge,” Agha said ahead of the team’s practice at the stadium on Saturday.
“We were always ready for the game, whatever be the decision.”
Pakistan had a scrappy last over three-wicket win in their first match against the Netherlands before beating the United States by 32 runs. India have also won both their matches so far.
“We are in good momentum and I hope that being in Colombo since the start will help us in terms of conditions,” said Agha.
But he warned: “We have to play good cricket to win the match.”
The hugely-anticipated match could be hit by bad weather, with rain forecast for Sunday evening.
Agha believed spin would dominate, calling Tariq Usman his trump card against India’s powerful batting line-up.
“Tariq has been bowling well and I am sure the mystery element will make him our trump card,” Agha said, brushing aside doubts over the legality of Tariq’s unique sling-arm action and the exaggerated pause in his delivery stride.
“He has been cleared twice so there are no worries.”
Agha hoped the players would shake hands, unlike during their three Asia Cup matches in Dubai last year.
“The game should be played in the true spirit of the game,” said Agha.
“It has been the norm in cricket for years but whatever way they want, we will only know tomorrow.”
The winner will be guaranteed of their berth in the next Super Eights round.
India have a doubt over explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, who has been suffering with a stomach bug.
“I hope he plays tomorrow. I hope he’s recovering well,” said Agha. “We want to play against the best, good luck to him.”
