Despite a false start with defeats in their initial two matches, including a loss to India by six wickets and a crushing defeat versus South Africa by 134 runs, Australia proved their mettle by stringing together an eight-game winning streak to reach the summit clash of ICC World Cup 2023. In the title clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday the five-time champions will be up against the hosts, who are yet to bite the dust in this event.
David Miller held his nerve under pressure to guide South Africa to 212 in tricky batting conditions against Australia in the second semifinal in Kolkata. Miller’s sixth ODI century, coming on an Eden Gardens surface assisting both seamers and spinners, helped South Africa recover from an alarming 24 for 4 after opting to bat. The chase wasn’t a cakewalk, but Australia gritted it out yo make it to their eighth World Cup final with a hard-earned three-wicket win.