Formidable India (IND) take on high-flying South Africa in the mouth-watering World Cup 2023 clash at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Sunday. The two giants have qualified for the semifinals and are effectively fighting for a top finish in the points table. The clash is expected to be a big challenge for either of them.
With seven wins in seven matches, Rohit Sharma's Men in Blue have managed to dominate the tournament and now face their biggest challenge. They produced a record-laden 302-run win against Sri Lanka in Mumbai in their previous game and will confirm a top spot with two more points.
The Proteas enter this game after thrashing out New Zealand by 190 runs in their last game. They have registered 300-plus totals in all of their five World Cup games while batting first while India are yet to concede a 300-plus total in their seven games. India have won only two of their last five ODI encounters against South Africa but remain favourites in Kolkata.
Eden Gardens, Kolkata Pitch Report
The surface at Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens offers a balanced surface for both batters and bowlers. Bowlers enjoyed a good help in the two World Cup 2023 matches played here with Netherlands defending 229 runs against Bangladesh and Pakistan easily chasing a 205-run target against Bangladesh. Pace bowlers are likely to dominate the game but fans can expect a high-scoring game with both teams playing with no pressure of semifinal qualification anymore.
Eden Gardens Records and Stats
Total ODI Matches: 37
Matches won batting first: 21
Matches won bowling first: 15
Average first innings score: 240
Average second innings score: 201
Highest total scored: 404/5 by India vs Sri Lanka
Highest score chased: 317/3 by India vs Sri Lanka
Lowest total recorded: 63/10 by India Women vs England Women
Lowest total defended: 195/10 by India vs South Africa
India World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (vc & wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna
South Africa World Cup squad: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (vc), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Reeza Hendricks, Lizaad Williams
