45 matches and 39 days later, the stage is set for the finale of the 13th ICC Men’s One Day International (ODI) Cricket World Cup and it begins Wednesday, 15th November 2023. The Top-4 are India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Hosts India finished the group stages unbeaten and were joined by South Africa in the last 4 first before a resurgent Australia made up the 3rd spot after a disastrous start to the tournament. New Zealand, who began the tournament brightly, scraped through to claim the 4th and the final spot after a 3-way race between Pakistan and Afghanistan went down to the last day. It is now the knock-out stage of the 46-day quadrennial tournament and any mistake will prove costly.
India are on a 9 game winning streak, their best showing at the World Cup. This is also the second-longest winning run registered by a team in a single edition of the quadrennial showpiece. Australia, in 2003 and 2007, won 11 games on the trot on its way to lifting the title. Only one other team has won a Cricket World Cup title after going unbeaten in the tournament – West Indies all the way back in 1975 and 1979.
The Final will take place at the Narendra Modi cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19th.
The Semi-Finals
India will take on Kane Williamson-led New Zealand in the 1st semi-final and South Africa meet the Aussies in the 2nd.
New Zealand finished fourth with five wins and four losses in the league stage losing to India by four wickets in a game Mohammed Shami took five wickets.
History is however on the side of the Kiwis. The same team knocked India out of the 2019 semi-final of the World Cup that England eventually won.
Players to watch
India: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami.
New Zealand: Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult
The second semi-final between South Africa and five-time champions Australia is between evenly matched teams that finished with seven wins from nine matches. South Africa had a better net run rate after a rampant batting display through the league stage.
Australia however came back into contention with seven wins in a row after losing the first two matches against India and South Africa. The Proteas apart from losing to India had lost to the Netherlands as well.
Players to watch
South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klassen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada
Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Adam Zampa, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc
SCHEDULE
1st Semi-Final (1st v 4th),
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
November 15, 2023, Wednesday – India vs New Zealand – 08:30 AM GMT | 02:00 PM IST
2nd Semi-Final (2nd v 3rd),
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
November 16, 2023, Thursday – South Africa vs Australia – 08:30 AM GMT | 02:00 PM IST
Final,
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
November 19, 2023, Sunday – TBC vs TBC – 08:30 AM GMT | 02:00 PM IST
SQUADS
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Prasid Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young
