Australia beats South Africa in thriller to set up Cricket World Cup final against India and Kohli

KOLKATA, India (AP) — Australia reached the Cricket World Cup final for an eighth time and will play Virat Kohli and India for the trophy after consigning South Africa to another heartbreaking loss in the semifinals on Thursday.

After restricting the South Africans to 212, Australia eked its way to 215-7 to win by three wickets with 16 balls to spare in a tense atmosphere inside Eden Gardens. It was the lowest margin of victory (by wickets) at the World Cup knockout stage.

Australia will be bidding to win the 50-over World Cup for a record-extending sixth time, while host nation India is seeking a third title.

The championship match is in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

South Africa has never won a semifinal match at the World Cup in five attempts.

Australia has only lost once in nine World Cup semifinals. Reaching the final at this edition marked a stunning turnaround for the five-time champions after losing their first two matches in the group stage.

It went on to lift the trophy after beating South Africa in both 1999 and 2007 but faces a formidable test on Sunday against India which has won its 10 matches at this edition.

Travis Head scored 62 off 48 balls to give Australia's chase a fast start. South Africa refused to give up and reduced Australia to 137-5 in the 24th over with the valuable wicket of Glenn Maxwell for just 1.

Head, who also took two wickets with his part-time spin, was named player of the match.

“It was a tense finish, but an amazing game … it is hard to unpack all of that. We haven’t seen such spin (previously in the tournament) and we knew we had to battle,” Head said.

“India has been one of the best teams in the competition. It’s an unbelievable bowling attack … I never dreamed of playing a World Cup final against them.”

Steve Smith registered a cautious 30 runs off 62 balls before he was dismissed to make it 174-6 in the 34th over.

Australia kept its nerve and crossed the finish line in the 48th over.

Mitchell Starc’s 16 not out off 38 balls and skipper Pat Cummins's 14 off 29 saw their team into a record eighth World Cup final.

The unexpected drama came after South Africa recovered from 24-4 in the 12th over to post a fighting 212 on a slow, turning wicket.

At an overcast Eden Gardens, David Miller struck 101, while Heinrich Klaasen scored 47 runs off 48 balls. The duo put on 95 off 113 for the fifth wicket.

The recovery was after Starc and Josh Hazlewood took advantage of helpful overhead conditions to rip through the top order, leaving the South Africans struggling after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.

Temba Bavuma (0) fell in the first over and a frustrated Quinton De Kock was out for just 3 off 14 balls when he skied Hazlewood to a backpedaling Cummins. Aiden Markram got a thick outside edge off Starc to David Warner for 10 and Rassie van der Dussen (6) edged Hazlewood to Smith at second slip.

The close-in fielding by Australia was excellent, backing up pinpoint bowling as the ball seamed and swung around in murky conditions.

Hazlewood finished with outstanding figures of 2-12 in eight overs, including three maidens. Starc got 3-34 in 10 overs, and Cummins returned 3-51 in 9.4 overs.

A slight drizzle had stopped play earlier for 30 minutes, but no overs were lost. On resumption of play, Klaasen was severe on Adam Zampa, hitting two sixes in one over. Miller took him on as well, smashing three sixes and reaching 50 off 70 balls. The wrist spinner, with 22 wickets in nine group-stage games, cost 0-55 in seven overs.

Head picked up 2-21 in five overs and dismissed Klaasen as South Africa went down to 119-6 in 30.5 overs.

Miller scored 100 off 115 balls. His partnership with Gerald Coetzee was worth 53 off 76 balls for the seventh wicket as South Africa went on to breach the 200-mark.

Australia’s chase started off nearly perfectly with Warner smashing 29 off 18 balls, including four sixes.

Head too made a quick getaway, as Australia was 60-0 after six overs. South Africa made a desperate change and it worked — Markram bowled Warner off his first ball in the seventh. It became a double blow when Kagiso Rabada recovered from Warner’s three sixes in an over to dismiss Mitchell Marsh for a six-ball duck.

At 61-2, Head still attacked and reached 50 off 40 balls with eight fours and two sixes.

The opener survived twice – substitute fielder Reeza Hendricks dropped a catch in the 12th over off Coetzee at deep point. Then, Klaasen failed to latch on to a sharp chance at slip in the 14th over off Tabraiz Shamsi.

Head added 45 off 39 balls with Smith. The missed chances helped Australia cross 100, before Keshav Maharaj bowled Head off his first ball in the 15th to make it 106-3.

South Africa's spinners Maharaj and Shamsi hunted together as Smith and Marnus Labuschagne added a slow 27 off 46 balls for the fourth wicket. Labuschagne was the first to run out of patience – he attempted a reverse sweep off Shamsi and was out lbw in the 22nd over.

Two overs later, the World Cup’s lone double centurion Glenn Maxwell was bowled by Shamsi for 1 off five balls. Maharaj finished with 1-24 in 10 overs, while Shamsi took 2-42.

Australia was down to 137-5 when Smith dug in deep against South Africa’s spin bowling. Josh Inglis hit 28 and the duo added a patient 37 for the sixth wicket.

The Proteas rolled the dice with pace and Coetzee struck twice. Smith was out pulling a short delivery and Inglis went in the 40th over.

Starc and Cummins survived to complete the job.

“Looking at the result of the game, the way we started with the bat and the ball was probably the turning point and where we lost it quite badly,” Bavuma said. “Congratulations to Australia and good luck to them in the final.”

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