The table toppers of ICC World Cup 2023 will come face to face on Sunday. India and South Africa have secured the 1st and 2nd positions with 14 and 12 points respectively and it’s going to be an intense clash in Kolkata. It will be the 8th outing for both sides in this World Cup. A win on Sunday will book South Africa a semi-final berth and if the Rohit Sharma-led side manages to win then no team can dethrone them from the 1st position. Here, we will analyze the IND vs SA pitch report and will also provide key stats such as their last ODI match scorecard, and head-head records between them.
Eden Gardens, Kolkata is all set to host the India vs South Africa clash on November 5, coincidentally falling on Virat Kohli’s birthday. Talking about the current form of men in blue, they have won 7 matches in a row, echoing their 2015 World Cup performance, where they also had 7 consecutive victories. However, fans hope for a different outcome in this year’s semi-final compared to the 2015 one.
On the other hand, South Africa has lost one match in this World Cup, against the Netherlands. But a win in Kolkata will equal their tally to India and the one with better run-rate will secure the top position. IND vs SA match will the 3rd CWC 2023 game at Eden Gardens, previously hosted NED vs BAN and PAK vs BAN games.
IND vs SA Pitch Report
In the last two matches at Eden Gardens, the pitch didn’t favor the usual strong batting performances it’s known for. Teams like the Netherlands and Bangladesh batted first in the two games but couldn’t reach big scores. The Netherlands only managed to post 229 against Bangladesh, while Bangladesh scored just 204 when they played against Pakistan.
Bangladesh faced defeat in both matches as the Dutch bowling unit defended a total of 229 runs, and Pakistan’s team, led by Babar Azam, chased down 204 runs in only 32.3 overs. However, we can expect an equal battle in the India vs South Africa clash as both sides possess high-quality batters and bowlers.
The pacers are expected to get good pace and bounce in Eden Gardens pitch which also helps batters as the ball comes nicely onto the bat. Opting to bowl first is likely to be the decision of the Toss-winner on Sunday. On the other hand, the team who will bat first will look to reach above 300.
India vs South Africa Head to Head in ODI World Cup
So far, the two teams have faced each other 5 times in the ODI World Cup stage, spanning from 1992 to 2019. South Africa had an unbeaten record until 2011, but India managed to turn the tide, securing victories in the last two games at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
- Matches Played – 5
- India Won – 2
- South Africa Won – 3
IND vs SA Last ODI Match Scorecard
The two teams last met in the ODI format on October 2023. The match in Delhi turned out to be a one-sided clash as South Africa were restricted to only 99 runs, registering their lowest ODI total against India. Without much effort, Shikhar Dhawan-led side chased the target in 19.1 overs and clinched the ODI series by 2-1.
| South Africa : 99-10 (27.1) | India : 105-3 (19.3) |
| Henrich Klaasen : 34(42) | Shubman Gill : 49(57) |
| Janeman Malan : 15(27) | Shreyas Iyer : 28*(23) |
| Marco Jansen : 14(19) | Ishan Kishan : 10(18) |
| Kuldeep Yadav : 4.1 – 1 – 18 – 4 | Bjorn Fortuin : 4 – 1 – 20 – 1 |
| Washington Sundar : 4 – 0 – 15 – 2 | Lungi Ngidi : 5 – 0 – 21 – 1 |
| Mohammed Siraj : 5 – 0 – 17 – 1 |