Watch: Travis Head struck twice in consecutive balls to change the course of the second semi-final of the 2023 World Cup, in Kolkata.
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Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bat under a murky sky at the Eden Gardens. The decision backfired, for Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood struck twice each to reduce South Africa to 24-4 inside 12 overs.
There was a brief rain break at 44-4, and Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller continued after that. The pair took the score to 111-4 after 30 overs. They hit five sixes off Adam Zampa, whose first five overs went for 40.
At this point, Pat Cummins turned to Travis Head. He started round the wicket, and Klaasen dispatched the ball to the extra-cover fence. The next ball was shorter, and Klaasen hit it past mid-off for four before defending the third ball.
Head tossed up the next ball. Klaasen (47 in 48 balls) had almost certainly overestimated the turn, because he played inside the line of the ball, and was clean bowled.
Head flighted the next ball as well, and this one hit Marco Jansen on the front pad. Head got the appeal in his favour, and Jansen’s review went in vain.
Travis Head's first over of the semi-final was a mixed bag of wickets and boundaries, as he extracted huge turn from the pitch early on in his spell
Average turn for spinners today:
Zampa 2.4º
Maxwell 2.7º
Head 4.7º#CWC2023
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 16, 2023
The last ball turned as well, but Gerald Coetzee defended it. Subsequent data revealed how much turn Head had obtained in that over.
At the time of writing, South Africa were 149-6 in 38 overs with Miller on 66 in 86 balls and Coetzee on a 24-ball 12.
Watch Travis Head strike twice with consecutive balls:
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