The 5th time still wasn’t the charm for South Africa as the Proteas lost – or choked – in their fifth ODI World Cup semi-final, failing to reach their maiden ODI World Cup final. Pat Cummins’ Australia have booked their date with Rohit Sharma’s India in the final of the World Cup 2023, to be played on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
It was a thrilling low-scoring match, for most of the parts giving the shades of the 1999 World Cup semi-final at Edgbaston between these two teams. Like that game in 1999, once again the South African hearts were broken, this time, though, there was no tie and Australia won by only 3 wickets.
David Miller’s brilliant, fighting century gave the South African bowlers a total of 212 to fight for on a pitch that was tough to bat on.
Once Travis Head (62 runs in 48 balls) and David Warner (29 runs in 18 balls) were dismissed, the South African bowlers rocked back into the game through testing lines and lengths. However, they were let down by their fielding – as many as 5 catches, were put down by the South Africans, at least two of which should have been taken, and a couple of catches fell short of the fielders.
The South Africa captain Temba Bavuma will have questions to answer on his team’s introspection. About Bavuma’s decision to bat despite rain around and under overcast conditions. About his decision to hold back Keshav Maharaj until the 15th over on a turning pitch – Maharaj knocked over Head from the first ball he bowled. About his decision to not give his strike bowler Kagiso Rabada a single over after his first six overs and instead turn to Markram and Jansen when Cummins and Starc were batting. Bavuma’s poor form – his tournaments ended today with a duck and an average of only 18 – and his place in the side today despite not being 100 percent fit is under question.
All of this – the loss: the choke – led to trolling of South Africa with hilarious memes on Twitter.
Funny memes after South Africa choked again in World Cup semi-final vs Australia:
