ODI World Cup 2023, AUS vs SA: Under pressure, Australia are set to have a go at red-hot South Africa in the 10th match of ICC World Cup 2023 on Thursday. The five-time champions Aussies were edged past by the Indians in a low-scoring thriller to begin their campaign at the 2023 tournament. On the other hand, the Proteas kickstarted their campaign on a brilliant note after registering a thumping win over Sri Lanka in Delhi. The tournament now heads to Lucknow for the first time this year.
Australia and South Africa have some of the greatest matches in the history of ODIs. The 1999 World Cup heartbreak might still be fresh in the minds of the Proteas, while the 2019 win will give them some great confidence. The two teams will clash at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, the venue which was the nemesis for the batters in IPL 2023.
Ekana Stadium Pitch Report
The Ekana Cricket Stadium pitches have been relaid after the IPL 2023. The Lucknow tracks were considered as a nightmare for the batters with runs being very hard to score. It was evident in the India vs New Zealand T20I game in January 2023 too when India chased down just 100 runs in 19.5 overs. The curator was sacked after that. However, one can consider that to change after the digging in of the surface.
Ekana Stadium- The numbers Game
Total ODI matches: 4
Matches won batting first: 2
Matches won batting second: 2
Highest score: 253/4 by West Indies vs Afghanistan in 2019
Lowest score: 194/10 by Afghanistan vs West Indies in 2019
Squads:
Australia squad: 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
South Africa squad: 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
