The Australia-South Africa semi-final was a curious exhibition of tactics, most of which backfired but could have worked on another day, writes Abhishek Mukherjee.

The 2023 World Cup has been a curious edition. While every team has won at least twice, the tournament has been surprisingly replete with one-sided affairs.

The second semi-final, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, produced a classic. Australia’s three-wicket margin of victory over South Africa was, in fact, the narrowest in the history of World Cup knockout matches, if one uses that parameter.

The outcome was determined by, among other aspects, tactical moves – some of which did not work.

Bavuma playing without being 100 per cent fit

At the World Cup, Temba Bavuma made 145 runs in seven innings ahead of the semi-final, and there was criticism over him playing ahead of Reeza Hendricks. At the same time, his pre-World Cup credentials (he averaged 80 and struck at 104 in 2023) were strong.

While Hendricks’s 85 against England was often cited as a reason for him to play ahead of Bavuma, his 12 against Bangladesh was not remembered as much. In his other three innings in 2023, he made 52, 39, and 28 – reasonably good without being exceptional.

Bavuma did play the semi-final despite not being “100 per cent fit” – seldom a prudent call – but the South African camp was fine with that.

He “might not have had the intensity in the field in terms of chasing balls down that he would normally have, but he was sort of weighing that up with having him on the field present as the captain. And for me that trumps it every day,” explained head coach Rob Walter at the post-match press conference. Bavuma made a four-ball duck, but the rest of the South Africa top-order fared little better. And it can be argued that his cool head was important in South Africa’s brave defence.

South Africa opting to bat

“Spin-friendly pitch demands first batting,” Bavuma explained at the toss, while elaborating that the reserve day reduced the impact of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, often perceived as being in favour of the chasing sides, with rain forecast.

Notably, until Thursday, South Africa had batted first in five matches at the 2023 World Cup and averaged 67.03 while scoring at 7.50 an over. In their four chases, the numbers dropped to 23.76 and 4.90.

South Africa also played Tabraiz Shamsi ahead of Lungi Ngidi. In their defence, the pitch did yield turn, even when the part-time spinners – Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, and Aiden Markram – bowled.

What they had not taken into account was the fact that the surface would assist seam as well in the first hour, of the game. In fact, Pat Cummins himself would have batted first as well…

Zampa bowling after rain

When rain stopped play, South Africa were left reeling at 44-4 after 14 overs. Having shared the four wickets, Starc and Josh Hazlewood had bowled 13 oft these overs and Cummins the other. But when play resumed, Australia started with Adam Zampa.

South Africa played out the first over cautiously before David Miller hit a six in each of his next two overs. Zampa was taken out of the attack, but the pressure had come off by then.

Saving Starc and Hazlewood’s overs for later was logical, but perhaps an over or two for Mitchell Marsh – neither Marcus Stoinis nor Cam Green was playing – on a pitch fresh after a rain break might have been reasonable.

Opening with Jansen

Gone are the days of containing sides within 213 in a fifty-over match. You have to bowl them out and, for that, you have to get the biggest threats on as early as possible.

Some sides would have opened with a spinner, but not South Africa. You can perhaps see why. Keshav Maharaj, the top-ranked bowler in the world, turned the ball into Australia’s left-handed openers, David Warner and Head. Shamsi, the other spinner, bowls wrist-spin, seldom a preferred option with the new ball.

Fair enough, but why open with Marco Jansen, who had struggled to find his line in the league match against India at the same venue? He conceded four wides in his first two overs, and two fours and two sixes across his first three.

Delaying the spinners, especially Maharaj

By the time Bavuma brought spin on, Australia were 60-0 after six overs. Markram struck with his first ball, but Bavuma was not too keen on Maharaj or Shamsi until the 13th over was done.

By the time he brought Shamsi on, Australia were 98-2, and the match had perhaps gone beyond salvage point, more so when Maharaj came on at 106-2. With his first ball, Maharaj bowled Head – the left-hander whose presence was almost certainly responsible for the delay.

Like many decisions in cricket, these would have been correct on another day, had Head not been dropped off the first balls he faced from Gerald Coetzee or Shamsi. Maharaj and Shamsi put up a masterclass of spin bowling in contrasting styles, but they could simply not break through.

The handling of the spinners

Head’s first over had made it obvious that the spinners were getting more turn from the High Court End. Bavuma introduced Markram from the same end, and later replaced him with Maharaj. Shamsi, as a result, had to bowl his first spell from the Club House End.

But once Coetzee came on for his marathon eight-over spell, Shamsi replaced Maharaj at the High Court End; once he was done, Maharaj bowled the final over; and he, in turn – the pun is unintentional – was replaced by Markram.

South Africa’s chances took a hit when it became evident that Kagiso Rabada would be unable to finish his quota. Bavuma’s handling of his spinners did not win the semi-final, but it did push South Africa to the brink. On another day, they might have clinched the match.

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