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[Saba Sports News] In the ODI World Cup semi-final at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, Australia clinched victory against South Africa, who chose to bat first after winning the toss. The challenging conditions initially favored the bowlers, with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood putting South Africa at a disadvantage early on.
South Africa’s innings saw a significant recovery with David Miller and Heinrich Claassen’s 95-run partnership, despite Adam Zampa’s ineffective bowling. Travis Head, however, brought back Australian dominance by taking two key wickets. Miller, with a spectacular century including eight fours and five sixes, steered South Africa to 213.
Australia’s chase started strongly with openers David Warner and Travis Head. Head’s 62 off 48 balls was a highlight, but Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi’s spin bowling caused a middle-order collapse. Steven Smith’s resilient 30 and Josh Inglis’s crucial 28 steadied the innings. Finally, a pivotal 22-run partnership between Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins sealed the three-wicket win for Australia, securing their spot in the final.