Live Report - Aus vs SA, World Cup 2023, semi-final

"Very hard to unpack it all," says Travis Head, who is player of the match after taking on the powerplay in his ballistic fashion, and grabbing two vital wickets to derail South Africa's innings. "We haven't seen it spin like that very much in this tournament, it was a grind and a battle. I thought I wasn't going to be here [after my broken hand]. Seeing the wicket, I was prepared to bowl a few overs, always keen to contribute. I never dreamed of being in a World Cup final, playing against the best team in the competition. Their bowlers look sharp so I'll need to be sharp."

A back-cut from captain Cummins, through deep backward point off Marco Jansen, and Australia are into their eighth World Cup final! It's been an utter nerve-shredder, South Africa fought and fought, but just ran out of road after a sub-par total of 212... David Miller was magnificent in adversity, with his first ODI hundred for five years, while the spinners Shamsi, Maharaj and Markram were outstanding. But the quicks were taken apart by David Warner and Travis Head in the powerplay, and though Gerald Coetzee battled back well, there was no recourse.

Poor South Africa. They thrashed Australia in the group stage, and had 15 wins in 18 in their previous ODI encounters dating back to September 2016. But on the big stage... Eish.

Marco Jansen's back... but not sure he's on for anything but a hiding here. He's had a horrible day of it, but Bavuma needs some magic from his lanky likely lad. Instead, it's a loose half-volley into the arc of Mitchell Starc, and a precious boundary through midwicket. Three to win!

Is that the last chance for South Africa? A rare error from Cummins, lured into a loose drive as Markram offers some loop and dip outside off in his seventh over, but the graze of an inside-edge clangs to the floor, just missing off stump in the process. Everyone heard it ... Bavuma, Shamsi, certainly de Kock and Markram. Still nine needed, and they aren't coming easily, but the half-chances are going to haunt South Africa at this rate.

Seven needed from 30... which, a propos of nothing, is what Joe Root made in the 2019 final... and that was a struggle!

Spin to win? Markram has enough overs left to bowl through if needed... and in his second over back in the action, he induces yet another half-chance, as Cummins pokes in the air off the back foot, and Bavuma at midwicket grabs the chance on the half-volley... A wide and a single takes the requirement down to 10...

One ball into his seventh over, Coetzee has to get a stretch from the physio after feeling the heat of his exertions, and maybe as a consequence, his next ball is a touch off-line, and Cummins - the coolest presence you could wish for in such circumstances - lasers an open-faced steer past the point sweeper... 14 to win. He's been here at Edgbaston, and against Afghanistan... the stakes don't faze him.

And now a free hit! A loose ball from Coetzee, above waist height and flicked for the single anyway... Starc winds into a massive wipe and gets bowled... of course it doesn't matter, but it's also a dot-ball... still 12 needed!

Gadzooks! What a ball from Coetzee! Round the wicket, right into the blockhole, Inglis digs down into his crease late on the yorker, and the ball wriggles through into his stumps! Unconscionably vast. South Africa need 20, as captain Pat enters the arena!

Cummins' very first ball is right up to the pads! Smashing the stumps but is it pitching outside leg? Bavuma waits to the last moment, and calls for the review. It's pitched six inches outside the line! Eish!

No reviews left for South Africa... Australia will remember that feeling. In the meantime, I think Taylor Swift said it best...

A second-ball single for Inglis, then a very square-set leg-side field for Starc, anticipating big rip to the left-hander from Maharaj, as he faces up to a slip and leg-slip too. But Starc has long levers, getting forward to the awkward length, and he's got time on his side to see off the threat. Maharaj is bowled out for a valiant 10-0-24-1.

Josh Inglis on strike. Six balls left of Tabraiz Shamsi's spell, and dare one say it, South Africa's challenge? It's an agonising over, flawless line from Shamsi across his bows, with sharp rip and bounce back in at the stumps. But Inglis stays low, gets over the ball as best he can, and even forces a change of angle to round the wicket for the final two balls, the second of which is driven out to deep cover for two more. Shamsi's played a blinder, 2 for 42 doesn't tell anything like the story, but will it be enough? It's on his team-mates to make it so now.

Back comes Coetzee, to find Mitchell Starc's outside edge... but there's no slip anymore! He's vanished to the deep, and the ball vanishes through deep third! 25 needed from 76. And then, in the same over, a splice-rattler pops back down the pitch, but Coetzee can't reach it in his followthrough! The half-chances will add up to about 15 wickets by the end of this one.

Two off his ninth over, but no breakthrough... Starc and Inglis survive with 36 needed from 90. So. Much. Drama

Huge, huge moment! Smith has a wild and frankly ungainly swipe off the back foot, braced for the short ball from Coetzee, round the wicket, but instead it's fuller than anticipated and a steepler is the upshot, which Quinton de Kock calls for early and grabs with a dive, right under the batter's nose at a very silly point. South Africa are exultant... the change has worked, and the tail is all but exposed... but with 39 needed from 99 balls, there is no rush needed just yet, in spite of Smith's own rush of blood.

A pivotal moment in this contest, as Temba Bavuma withdraws his main man Tabraiz Shamsi, with two overs up his sleeve and presumably the tail at his mercy if he can get a glimpse of it. Keshav Maharaj continues for one more - he's got 6.5 degrees of turn in this match, the most at a World Cup apparently - but soon it's back to Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada in a bid to dislodge a mounting and critical sixth-wicket stand between Inglis and Smith.

The extra pace suits both men just fine - Smith in particular is happy to play with soft hands outside off and pick off a priceless four through deep third. But it's the composure of Inglis at the other end that has caught the eye so far. He played notably low to the spinners, getting his head close to the point of contact to mitigate the spin, and having laced Shamsi past the cover sweeper for his first boundary, he rocks back to Coetzee to lob him over the slips.

Greetings, Miss Moonda. Tell me your deepest, most guarded fears. Deep breath...

"From the moment Aiden Markram took a wicket with his first ball, hope started to whisper. Then when Keshav Maharaj did, it became to speak softly and then when Tabraiz Shamsi finally got rid of Marcus Labuschangne, it shouted.

But the problem is that it's the hope that hurts. If only they had 40 more runs, if only Marco Jansen hadn't bowled three overs upfront, if only Gerald Coetzee had not gone for 15, if only Reeza Hendricks had taken that catch off Coetzee's first ball, if only Imran Tahir was here, if only, if only... there are so many things we can think of and they all come from that place of pure, raw emotion.

The Springboks came from nine points down to beat England in the semi-final, they held onto a one-point lead against the All Blacks, why can't the cricketers just do it too? It's one thing if they lose by going down in a heap, but to crawl back from 24 for 4 to set a target of the haunted number (213) and then to have Australia 137 for 5, that's just cruel.

It makes people believe it can be done, it ties knots in stomach, it rips fingernails to pieces. Why are they doing this to everybody? It will be worth it if they pull it off but if they don't... then it hurts so much because we hoped."

And so, in summary:

Maxwell's ungainly innings ends on 1 from 5 balls, and in ignominious fashion ... he rocks back for a slap across the line, and loses his leg stump as Shamsi skids one through from just back of a length and sets off on a solipsistic celebratory gallop to give Imran Tahir a run for his money! This match is rocking now!

Vishal Dikshit notes: Maxwell averages less than 10 against South Africa, and has never hit a six against them.

This time he's gone! Shamsi isn't waiting for the umpire, he's gone full celebrappeal on this one, as well he might given South Africa's desperation for the breakthrough. Labuschagne lines up a reverse-sweep, is through the stroke too soon as the ball grips back into his knee, and despite a review, that is clipping leg stump! That, I think, counts as fair exchange for the let-off earlier!

Out comes Glenn Maxwell to a huge ovation, and for the first time since that innings. Honestly, South Africa are right in this. The ball is gripping and spitting and the tension is phenomenal. And Maxwell's first ball is a very nervy back-foot punch that just eludes the outside edge, before an attempted reverse-sweep off Maharaj eludes his glove by a whisker and causes South Africa to burn a review! He's rattled, they're rattled, I'm rattled. Everyone's rattled!

Finally, a boundary for Australia, as Shamsi over-pitches outside off and gets pumped through the covers by Labuschagne. But the game has changed immeasurably since South Africa's senior spinners began their spells in consecutive overs.

Unfortunately for their hopes of defending 213, they leaked a massive 81 runs in nine overs of pace beforehand.

An absolutely huge moment in this match, and Tabraiz Shamsi is utterly livid - and with some reason. A massive appeal for lbw against Marnus Labuschagne is turned down by Richard Kettleborough, who presumably reckons he was struck outside the line. But the ball was ripping hard back towards his off stump and beat the inside-edge by a distance with his weight on the back foot. Umpire's call is indeed the upshot, but that was, you might even argue (to echo the spirit of this summer's Ashes), morally out... will South Africa get another sniff? You'd think so, because the spinners are certainly in the game here!

In fact, in his next over, Shamsi forces another tough chance with that awkward line outside off, Smith plays for the big ripper back into his pads, and gets a nick as the ball slides straight on, but de Kock behind the stumps can only lay a thigh on the chance. That's four lives for Australia now...

And see, it's not just me...

Tabraiz Shasmi enters the attack... and it's two clear lives in the space of his first three balls! First, it's Smith, down on one knee for a premeditated lap, and a top-edge plops agonisingly short of Bavuma at short backward square. He made good ground, and he's one of the game's livewires, but it couldn't go to hand. And then, after a clip through backward point brings up Australia's 100, it's the turn of Heinrich Klaasen to miss a catch at slip - a fast-flying flash off the back foot as Head flung his hands into a cut.

That latter life matters less, however. Because Keshav Maharaj - the No.1-ranked ODI bowler in the world - strikes with his very first ball, over the wicket to the left-hander, tossed up outside off and turning just enough through the gate! Head is gone for 62 from 48, but with Smith and Labuschagne now united at the crease, South Africa at least know that a different tempo is likely to take hold of this chase.

Short and wide from Gerald Coetzee as he enters the attack in place of Kagiso Rabada, who has left the field momentarily, and fatefully as it turns out. For in his place comes the substitute Reeza Hendricks, whose first taste of action is a tough but palpable chance at deep cover. He rushes in as Travis Head rises onto his toes for an uppercut, and gets both hands to the chance, diving forward as he does so. But the chance goes down, and moments later, Coetzee himself spills a tough return chance, as Head blasts another boundary back past his shins.

Suddenly it's three fours in a row as Coetzee's head drops and he offers more width outside off. At the other end, Steve Smith is having a tough time of it, against the spin of Markram in particular, but he finally pumps a drive through the covers for his first boundary. And after the flurry of belief, South Africa are leaking hope once more.

Unbelievable scenes in Kolkata, as Rassie van der Dussen positively devours a slashed drive from Mitchell Marsh, hard and flat through the covers, but in the air and pounced on at full stretch to his right. It's a breakthrough for Rabada, whose previous over had been mashed for three sixes, but in whom Temba Bavuma kept faith, especially once David Warner had gone. Suddenly, Australia have lost 2 for 1 in 14 balls...

Incidentally, Quinton de Kock was fully front and centre of South Africa's huddle after the Warner wicket. These might be his final minutes as an international cricketer. He's not about to go down without a fight.

Well now, how do you like your ghosts? Deep-fried and crispy, to judge by David Warner's dismissive onslaught against Kagiso Rabada - back-to-back sixes in his third over, included a lapped free-hit over backward square, which was soon followed by Travis Head's own launch for the stands to march to 60 for 0 at the end of the sixth over.

What South Africa would give to bring on a certain SK Warne at this juncture. Back in 1999, and faced with a near-identical chase, South Africa had rattled along for 48 for 0 without a care in the world. Until Warne's ripper to bowl Herschelle Gibbs turned the contest on its head. Aiden Markram isn't quite that calibre, but his first ball from round the wicket is more than enough to blast Warner's stumps from the ground, as he rocks back for another launch over the covers. And it is ragging out there. Another strike soon, and there's still a chance...

It’s an inauspicious start from Marco Jansen, and frankly an unsettling one from South Africa’s perspective. Despite his excellence at key moments of this tournament, he was beasted by India in his final group-stage match and seems not to have rediscovered his mojo. His height and angle will always make him a threat but his line is all over the place in the powerplay. Four wides in two overs, interspersed with a brace of smeared fours from Travis Head and David Warner, who has also launched Kagiso Rabada for a massive 87-metre six. Australia have outscored South Africa’s powerplay already. They need a wicket quickly.

So, World Cup semi-finals... a version of cricket in which Australia score 213 and win? They will need to match the total they made in the 1999 epic... have South Africa fallen one run short again, despite batting first? Fortunately this South Africa team claims that history is bunk… but history just won’t take no for an answer.

"Only half the game's done," says David Miller at the interval... he's not wrong, you know.

“It’s really great to get a hundred, but only half the game is done. We fought at the end and got a decent score. We knew the pitch would be slower and it would turn. We were always on the back foot after losing four wickets in the powerplay but we managed to salvage something at the back end.

Hopefully we can get a couple of early wickets, get that run-rate up as quickly as possible and then put some under pressure with our spinners. I do think it’s a defendable score.”

Always good for a stat, is our know-it-all ex-Cricinfo end-of-level gameshow boss...

And so's this ex-Cricinfo end-of-level stats-cruncher ...

Back of a length from Pat Cummins, David Miller sits deep in his crease, and monsters a huge blow over deep midwicket to race through to his first ODI century in five years and five days! Sadly for South Africa, his follow-up attempt, two deliveries later, comes off the bottom of his bat for Travis Head to cling on inside the rope, with a good precautionary juggle as he secures his footwork in the process ... but he's given his team a fighting chance.

Either way, it's the highest individual score by a South African in a World Cup knock-out, which has to count for something, right?

Back comes Starc, from round the wicket, and Maharaj's attempt to go down-town ends in failure, and a shot not unlike de Kock's powerplay departure - an attempt to hit the cover off a full-length ball, and a skied chance to mid-off. Smith doesn't have to make much ground to pouch it, and Maharaj departs for 4. Miller is in danger of getting stranded here, as Rabada arrives at eight-down and with more than three overs to go.

Meanwhile Firdose notes that it's been five years and five days since Miller's last ODI hundred... in which time he's made 16 not-out scores in the first innings. If he produces another one today, he'll either have been let down by his tail, and paced his knock to perfection.

A big call this, from Pat Cummins. David Miller is South Africa's last remaining threat, on 72 from 98, and he's feasted on Adam Zampa so far today. It's a match-up that he could have avoided if he wished, given the impact that Australia's second-line spinners have had, but Cummins prefers to look Miller directly in the eye, and see what he's got left in him.

The upshot is an over of clear intent and intermittent impact. A trio of misfires, including one scuffed shot that gets him off strike to square leg, but one forceful lump through the line, straight down the ground for six.

At the other end, Coetzee falls on the pull to Cummins, a zippy short ball, into his arm-pit, and flicking off the glove through to Josh Inglis - in fact, it wasn't glove! That hit his elbow, but he didn't take the review! Extraordinary. "DRS = the new DLS," says Sidharth Monga, who's always had a way with words.

Either way, it was a useful hand, in a 53-run stand, but now it's into the tail. All the more reason to challenge Miller to go too big too soon? We shall see... indeed, Zampa will continue, and his first ball is a long-hop, slammed through deep midwicket!

Blink and you miss him. Maxwell has burgled an excellent spell of 10-0-35-0, all of them served up between overs 21 and 40, slip-streaming the more eyecatching offerings from the expensive Adam Zampa and the penetrative Travis Head. There were one or two rippers tossed into the mix, but moreover, he's just darted his way through the middle overs, seizing on South Africa's catatonia to cement Australia's dominance.

Mind you, at least South Africa now know they've picked the right team, with Shamsi and Maharaj likely to be backed up by a key spell from Aiden Markram. Can Miller and Co. grind out a competitive total? Even 213 would suffice from here...

"What we're seeing happen to South Africa now is a collection of a whole new library of what-ifs? What if Temba Bavuma was not fit enough to play but did anyway? And does his hamstring injury explain why he nicked that Mitchell Starc ball?

Or what if South Africa had read conditions differently - moisture in the air, more clouds than we'd seen at this whole World Cup - and bowled first? Then, Pat Cummins would have got what he wanted (Australia also would have batted) and we would have criticised South Africa for not playing to their strengths, wouldn't we?

The bottom line may be that Bavuma, as captain, played because he was fit enough, if not 100% fit, and that he made the call most captains - especially captains with the top-order South Africa has - would have made.

He would not have known how extraordinarily well Australia's new-ball pair would bowl or how relentless their ground fielders would block off boundaries. South Africa's Powerplay score of 18 for 1 was their lowest in 15 years. There's starting slowly and then there's this.

But unlike South Africa à la 2007, this team did not completely unravel after they lost the top four and their Heinrich Klaasen-David Miller rebuild fanned the flames of hope until...

What if Klaasen had not missed a straightforward, tossed-up delivery from Travis Head? Seriously, Travis Head. And what if Marco Jansen had moved his feet to the next ball?

There's definitely signs that it's turning out there and the selection of two spinners is the correct call from South Africa, but what if they don't have the runs to play with?"

He brings it up with a slap for four through point off Glenn Maxwell, who one ball earlier had beaten him with sharp turn outside off, to draw a speculative appeal for a stumping. The ball is ragging and South Africa are sinking, but while there's still time, it's always Miller Time.

Unbelievable! South Africa were finding genuine traction in this contest, but all of a sudden, Heinrich Klaasen has played all around a length delivery from Travis Head, and had his stumps splattered! He'd bashed back-to-back fours in the same over, but Head held his nerve, served up another loopy offbreak which just seemed to skid on and straight through the gate!

Up on the South Africa balcony, Temba Bavuma looks genuinely stunned.

One ball later, Marco Jansen is in his sights, and this one definitely grips! Dip and bite from outside off, Jansen's feet are going nowhere as the ball thuds his knee-roll, and Head knows it's plumb as soon as the appeal leaves his throat. The review is futile, and the recovery is dead in the water.

Right, showtime. It's been a reversion to attrition for South Africa, with Glenn Maxwell's angled offbreaks cramping the batters for room from round the wicket, to the tune of three runs from his first four overs. But, when Zampa replaces him for the 27th over, Klaasen seizes the chance to unleash that devastating quasi-pull of his, twice muscling a pair of drag-downs - the first a googly - high over wide long-on. Maxwell returns with a change of ends and Miller rocks back on a cut through backward point that Warner (always him) does very well to intercept.

The hundred comes up in the 28th over, whereupon there's a break in play after Zampa inadvertently walks across the path of a quick single, and causes Klaasen's helmet to squash his nose. But Miller responds in the same over by slapping a full-toss over midwicket for another six. Zampa had 21 wickets in Australia's seven consecutive wins, but South Africa have found his number again for now...

Sampath notes that, in 2023, South Africa have hit 21 sixes against Adam Zampa in 54 ODI overs. Travis Head replaces him, and immediately gets battered for back-to-back boundaries... scenes.

It's a pulse... not much of one, but it's definite signs of life, as South Africa's gun pairing of Klaasen and Miller come together in an even-paced stand that is currently worth 43 in 49 balls, including two sixes over long-on for Miller off Zampa. It's on them to build the innings much as van der Dussen and Markram might have done in earlier games, then lay the smackdown later in the match. And remember, this pair crashed a preposterous 173 from ten overs in that aforementioned Centurion match, in which Klaasen himself made 174 from 83. They have every reason to be confident in their personal games against Australia. Can they transcend the national angst in this match-up? It's what may yet define this contest.

We're back on, and it's a smart opening gambit from Pat Cummins on the resumption. On a pitch where seam has been so dominant, he's gone straight to his star spinner, Adam Zampa, safe in the knowledge that, at 46 for 4, South Africa will be obliged to take a look before they leap - unlike this pairing's demolition of Zampa at Centurion two months (and a lifetime) ago, where he was clobbered for 113 runs in ten overs.

Sure enough, Zampa beats Miller's outside edge in his first over, and concedes just four runs from ten balls before Miller plants a slog over long-on for South Africa's first six of the innings. It brings up the fifty too, but in the 17th over, as Josh Hazlewood at the other end blots out back-to-back maidens to continue his stellar display. A revival isn't out of the question, but they feel so far off the pace already. Miller is also receiving treatment after wearing a Hazlewood short ball on his left index finger. Ouch.

So, that's in about 15 minutes' time. A rope is being run around the outfield. It's on!

Have South Africa managed to regroup at all? We'll find out soon enough...

Andrew Fidel Fernando, acclaimed author and occasionally humorous satirist, has watched a LOT of rain fall this year. He was our drip-by-drip correspondent at the Asia Cup in September, and as a Sri Lankan who has grown up with monsoonal interruptions to his cricket-watching, he is justifiably very proprietorial of these breaks in play.

So here, for your delectation, is his full breakdown of the Kolkata groundstaff's technique, as they roll out their (admittedly impressive) covers to see off this threat from the heavens. Are they remotely up to the standards at Galle or the Premadasa? Read on to find out:

Urgency: 3 (The players should be at risk of being run over as you rush the field field like 25 synchronised Usain Bolts).
Efficiency: 8 (The covers have gone on the right place, no need for re-dos. Solid.)
Coverage: 10 (They cover the whole ground here. As they should everywhere. No notes.)
Uniforms: 5.5 (Some are in yellow, some are in blue. Shouldn't be happening at this level)
Head groundsman rating: 7 (Pretty good at directing traffic, though he's spending too much time talking to fourth umpire and not barking instructions.)

performance analysis: Would never be called acceptable at Khettarama, but by Rest of World's pathetic standards this is passable.

Incidentally, we have a two-hour window before we start to lose overs (an extra hour of hang-time compared to the group stages). So sit tight.

Is there any hope left for South Africa? Not if the weight of history bearing down on this rivalry has anything to say about it - it's even raining now, though hopefully not too heavily.

I'm afraid I wrote about in the preview, "history written as premonition" and all that, but in mitigation, I wasn't alone in bringing up the ghosts of past World Cup failures...

And so, after Pat Cummins entered the attack and South Africa picked off another rare boundary as a loose drive from Miller fell inches short of mid-on, it's probably time to revisit this hideous scorecard from the 2007 semi-final. Less storied than 1999, of course, but a companion-piece nonetheless, for South Africa's determination not to die wondering on that day proved to be their direct undoing... it was even a left-arm, right-arm combination that felled them in the first ten overs that day...

He's been everywhere in this innings so far, and sure enough, he's on hand at point to prise out wicket No.3! Aiden Markram, the scorer of a 49-ball century earlier in the campaign, trudges off for 10 from 20 this time... including both of the boundaries that his becalmed team had so far managed. Markram chased the width across his bows from Mitchell Starc, coming down on the ball with a straight blade, anticipating the swing back into his arc, but it holds its line and maybe comes off the pitch a touch slowly. Warner reaches with a reverse-cup to his left, clings on in both hands and bounces a jig of delight in the aftermath.

Moments earlier, Labuschagne intercepted another slash through the covers that could have been a third boundary for Markram. Australia are on it like a bonnet today. And as Heinrich Klaasen arrives, some 20 overs sooner than he had bargained for, this match already feels over...

In fact, just as I publish this, van der Dussen goes too! Josh Hazlewood, into his sixth over off the reel, finds more nip and bounce from his relentless line outside off, and with a phlanx of slips still posted, a tame edge nestles in Steve Smith's breadbasket at second! David Miller then gets off the mark with a first-ball four... but it's a low edge through the slips, so hardly an auspicious sign of a revival.

There had not been a single boundary in 8.4 overs of this contest in Kolkata, as South Africa crept to 18 for 2 at the end of the ten-over powerplay. Sampath, our stats wizard, notes that this is their lowest total in the first ten overs of a men's ODI since 2008, beating the 25 for 1 at Bloemfontein vs Australia earlier this year, which was also the only match which SA lost batting first in 2023... eyes emoji...

But how many times have South Africa been denied by superhuman commitment in the covers? By my count, David Warner has been responsible for three full-stretch intercepts at point, with Marnus Labuschagne denying Rassie van der Dussen at mid-off too.

In fact, here's the tale of the tape from Andrew McGlashan on the ball-by-ball commentary:

4.3 Starc to van der Dussen, no run
A positive stroke, sweetly driven into the covers but superb work from Warner who flings himself with a dive. Australia look on here

4.4 Starc to van der Dussen, no run
And again from Warner! This was very full and powerfully driven, this time he's quick to his left to intercept

6.5 Starc to van der Dussen, no run
Back into off stump, punched into the covers and it's Warner, again, diving at cover. Full length to his left

8.2 Starc to van der Dussen, 1 run
More outstanding fielding! This is very full and powerfully driven to the right of mid-off where Labuschagne somehow manages to reach it

Snap! That's the sound of South Africa's resolve twanging like a dodgy hamstring... Quinton de Kock had waited and waited, absorbing that pressure to the tune of three runs from 14 balls. But in the sixth over, and with the scoreboard completely stalled, his first shot in anger is also his last! A presumptuous gallop down the pitch to Josh Hazlewood and a voluminous hack through the line. He's attempting to launch him clean over his head for six, but gets over-eager on the fullest length that he'd received from Hazlewood all afternoon. The ball simply steeples towards the Eden Gardens floodlights, then plummets towards captain Cummins at mid-off, who gathers well while tumbling backwards onto the turf, with Marnus Labuschagne lurking in his eyeline but staying well out of the way. De Kock trudges off with a wince. Eish...

In mitigation, we know what South Africa can do when they get properly stuck in. They are content to absorb pressure in the powerplay, safe in the knowledge that their real firepower is lurking further down the batting card. But how much pressure is too much pressure to absorb? That's the burning question after five overs of extraordinary Australian dominance.

Mitchell Starc with the early wicket, allied to dangerous swing and bounce, and Josh Hazlewood, hitting the seam at will and jagging around the splices of Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen from just back of a length. Their progress has been limited to a handful of singles and a leg-side wide... and Australia's fielding has been top-drawer, particularly in the covers where David Warner has been pouncing on everything that comes close to him. Finally, van der Dussen finds some space in the deep to come back for a second run. He was 1 off 14 balls up to that point, but is just beginning to use his feet now.

The worst combination of factors imaginable for Temba Bavuma, South Africa's captain. He admitted at the toss that he was "not 100% fit but it's got to be good enough". And it hasn't been. Mitchell Starc, harnessing early swing in the powerplay, strikes with his sixth ball of the match, and it's the one that kisses straight on, into the edge and through to Josh Inglis's gloves. Bavuma was batting on leg stump, mindful of those pinpoint inswinging yorkers that Starc is prone to unleashing. But in his desire to keep his pads out of the firing line, he's unable to keep control of a loose push outside his eyeline.

As Firdose Moonda would doubtless put it, "eish".

First blood to South Africa, who win a vital toss and lean into their proven strength at this tournament. Temba Bavuma chooses to bat first.

"[The weather] did come into consideration, but we've looked at our strengths as a team," Bavuma says. "I'm not 100% fit but I think it's got to be good enough. It's massive, not something I dreamt of, coming into a semi-final carrying the hopes and aspirations of people back home. I don't want to think about it too much, we have a game of cricket to focus on. The rugby team sent us a heartfelt message this morning."

One change, Shamsi comes in for Lungi Ngidi.

"We'd have liked to bat first, pretty gloomy out there, so maybe it'll swing early," Pat Cummins says. "They played similar style to us, and won the last few but we're due."

With seven veterans from the 2015 victory, Australia have plenty of experience to fall back on in the clutch moments. "Hopefully really important, when it gets tight and a bit of pressure. The guys have been really positive in the last seven games, it's all starting to click."

Two expected changes, Maxwell and Starc are back for Stoinis and Abbott.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Josh Inglis (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

South Africa 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Gerald Coetzee, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

... and so it begins. Fortunately, our Rain Updates Special Correspondent, Andrew Fidel Fernando, is in Kolkata for us today, having earned a Pulitzer nomination* for his services to weather forecasting at this year's Asia Cup. "The covers over the square are returning," he tells us. "Could be a very light drizzle."

In fact, look, he's earning his keep already. "Whatever was on the air has disappeared. Covers being whipped off again," he adds. Hurrah!

So... what are the implications if it rains all day (or even part of the day)? Here's another man well versed in sending thrilling contests hurtling to a watery grave. Andrew "Jonah" McGlashan has pulled together an FAQ for you.

In better, actual cricket-related news, Temba Bavuma jogged his way out to the middle earlier. Fingers crossed he is passed fit for this contest after his hamstring issues.

Good morning all, and welcome to ESPNcricinfo's Live Report for an unspeakably epic contest. It's Australia versus South Africa, in the second semi-final of the 2023 World Cup, and the toss is coming up in about 40 minutes' time. Unless, of course, it rains... because where would South Africa and knock-out contests be without a bit of meddling from the heavens? It is all unspeakably vast... but the latest word from our spies in Eden Gardens is ... it's grey but dry for now.

In the meantime, here's Matthew Hayden and Dale Steyn - men who know a bit about World Cup semi-finals, reflecting on South Africa's chances of breaking their three-decade hoodoo.