The most anticipated match of the ODI World Cup 2023 is upon us as the two best teams of the tournament so far will lock horns at the iconic Eden Gardens today, as India takes on South Africa on Sunday, November 5. The Proteas, in second place, are on a 4-game winning streak and have been very tough to beat, barring a shocking loss to the Netherlands, while India are 7-0 up in this tournament and sitting pretty at the top with 14 points to their name. Both teams have already qualified for the semifinals.
The South Africans love to bat first and have been on fire putting up massive totals every time they have had to set a target for their opposition with scores of 428, 311, 399, 382 and 357, and on each of those occasions, they have come out top trumps by over 100 runs. The two times they chased ended in mixed results as they slumped to a shock 39-run defeat against the Netherlands while chasing 246 while they made it difficult for themselves against Pakistan, at Chepauk, beating them by 1 wicket while chasing 271.
Rohit Sharma's India team, on the other hand, has put up comprehensive team performances in each of their 7 matches at the ICC World Cup 2023 with their batting and bowling units ably supported by excellent fielding.
Venue, weather, and pitch report
The Eden Gardens surface is expected to be a balanced pitch for both spinners and fast bowlers with the pacers enjoying a better strike rate while picking wickets while the spinners have been more tight with their bowling. Kolkata on Sunday is expected to have a maximum temperature of 32°C and could drop to 23°C later on in the evening with dew expected to play a role. Regardless, the team winning the toss might choose to bat first, which is something South Africa will relish.
Also Read: India AQI: ODI World Cup in the time of heavy air pollution
Form guide (most recent first):
India - WWWWW
South Africa - WWWWL
Injury updates and probable Playing XIs
India has brought in Prasidh Krishna as a replacement for Hardik Pandya after the all-rounder was ruled out for the remainder of the ODI World Cup with an ankle injury. Both teams will have a full squad to choose from. India is expected to not tamper with the winning combination of the last few games while South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma has not hinted, at his pre-match press conference, if the team will play both left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi.
However, the latter's poor record against India in ODIs - 5 wickets in 6 matches, at an economy of 6.48 rpo - could see pacer Gerald Coetzee take his place in the XI.
Probable XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (vc/wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, and Gerald Coetzee
Also Read: As India stands unbeaten at seven, take a bow, K L Rahul!
Players to watch out for
These are the key players for the epic India vs South Africa clash.
Batters: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen
All-rounders: Marco Jansen, Ravindra Jadeja
Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj
Head-to-head-record
In the 5 matches the two sides have played in ODI World Cups, South Africa has the slightest edge with 3 victories against India's 2. However, the Men in Blue have come out on top in the last 2 editions; by 6 wickets in 2019 and by 130 runs in 2015.
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Where to watch India vs South Africa?
The Star Sports Network, on TV, and the Disney+Hotstar app, on computers and smart devices, are the only destinations for the Indian fans who are not headed to the stadium.
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