Australia’s ‘happy association’ with knockouts continues but South Africa shows resilience in latest World Cup semis saga

South Africa is viewed as an overhyped disappointment in ICC events, but its exploits in this World Cup should go a long way towards shedding that perception.

Defending 212 on a capricious pitch, South Africa had moments of brilliance from Gerald Coetzee while Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj asked uncomfortable questions of Aussie batters.  | Photo Credit: AP

The enduring allure of live sport is its intimacy; amid the blaring trumpets and screeching cheers, the fans witness athletes experience either one of their most ecstatic or the most gut-wrenching moments of their lives.

On Thursday night, in front of a delirious 46,000-strong crowd at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Australia inflicted yet another semifinal defeat on South Africa to set up a title clash with host India in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

But this time, it was different. This was not a fragmented performance blowing South Africa’s title hopes to smithereens. There was no staleness about the approach that invited anguish. South Africa gave it everything. Defending 212 on a capricious pitch, they had moments of brilliance from Gerald Coetzee while Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj, bowling in tandem, asked uncomfortable questions of Aussie batters. There was David Miller’s fine innings of 101 off 116 balls too, but it just was not enough.

Sport is full of stories of narrow failures that lay the foundations for future success. Many times, falling agonisingly short has spurred teams on to come back stronger and ultimately seize glory. And while four years is not exactly an eternity, it can feel like it for South Africa before the next ODI World Cup at home.

Especially when enough has happened for two decades prior. The Proteas have now lost four semifinals in the 50-over showpiece and the tie in 1999 would have been more agonising than a defeat.

Before Thursday night, South Africa had won 15 of its previous 18 matches against Australia, which included a shellacking of Pat Cummins’ men in the group stage. But Australia and knockouts in 50-over World Cups have a happy association, and the same can’t be said about its opponents in Kolkata.

This game, in fact, brought back memories of the World Cup heartbreak in Edgbaston, with the target set by both teams, 24 years apart, being the same: 213.

“Our character came through. We showed the resilience we talk about and a bit of dogfight,” South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma said after the match.

Bavuma isn’t wrong. For long, the relationship between South Africa and the cricket world has felt sticky, partly because at ICC events, it is viewed as an overhyped disappointment. Its exploits in this World Cup should go a long way towards shedding that perception.

As for the Aussies, what a year it’s turning out to be. They claimed the World Test Championship title, retained the Ashes in England, and have now reached the ODI World Cup final riding on eight consecutive wins after losing their first two matches.

“It’s going to be a special final. I still talk of the 2015 (World Cup final) as one of my career highlights and I wasn’t even playing. So, to be out there in a final, in India, world’s biggest stadium... it’s a very happy changing room at the moment,” Australian skipper Cummins said after the match.

As for Bavuma and his men, the dream of a securing a World title lives on.