NZ vs SA highlights, World Cup 2023: de Kock, van der Dussen, and bowlers help South Africa beat New Zealand by 190 runs

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ICC World Cup 2023 Points Table after IND vs SA: India thrashes South Africa to seal top spot

ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table: Here is the latest points table update and team standings of the ongoing 50-over cricket World Cup in India during week four.

Another clinical performance by South Africa. Was at it best throughout the game. After a brilliant batting display powered by Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen, the bowlers showed full support to them. Keshav Maharaj picked up four wickets, Marco Jansen took three to completely push New Zealand out of the game.

New Zealand has now lost three matches in a row. A lot of things need to be done for it to get into the semifinals. Getting clear of the injuries will be the starting point.

Philips not interested in running singles. How far can he take his team? Another SIX! This time over long-off. OUT! Philips is caught at mid-on! Went for another hit but couldn’t enough power. And that’s it. South Africa wins by 190 runs.

Philips gets a half-volley and smokes it towards covers for four! Follows it up with a slog sweep over midwicket for a SIX! And another four towards covers brings up his fifty in 46 balls! He’ll take a single on the fourth ball.

Coetzee continues. Two dots to start the over. Philips slogs hard and hits four towards midwicket. A single on the last ball and Philips will keep the strike.

Maharaj continues. SIX! Phillips is showing his power now as he slog sweeps over midwicket! Takes a single on the fifth ball. Seven runs off the over.

Coetzee is back. Just a single in the first five balls. At it’ll be that only.

OUT! Maharaj gets his fourth and Boult gets caught at long-on. He tries to go over the fielder but couldn’t find enough power.

So Matt Henry will bat. He has a scan to go for tomorrow. A single and a wicket in that over.

Jansen to Boult, takes a single on the first ball. Free-hit to Boult but couldn’t do much about it. Four runs off the over.

SIX! Phillips strikes it clean over midwicket on the first ball of the Maharaj over. Just three singles after that hit.

Jansen continues. Three runs in the first three balls. How far can these two stretch the score? Boult slaps the short of length ball past mid-on for four! What a shot.

Maharaj cleans up Neesham! New Zealand eight down now! Turned in a mile for the left hander! Neesham went for a frontfoot defence but it goes past him.

Trent Boult is the new man in and he takes a single on the first ball. A slight delay as there’s a issue with one of the bail. New bail comes in. Three runs and a wicket in that over.

Bavuma calls back his best bowler Jansen to get the remaining wickets. Southee is given LBW! He goes for a review but that is more out of optimism. Three reds on the ball tracker and the seventh wicket falls.

Tim Southee lbw b Jansen 7 (11)

Jimmy Neesham in at No. 9. He sees out the hat-trick ball. LBW call against Neesham! Umpire says not out and Kiwis take a review. However, ball tracking suggests the impact was outside and the decision stays. A wicket maiden!

Maharaj to continue. CHANCE! A top edge from Southee falls in no man’s land. Only three from the over.

Lungi Ngidi to bowl his sixth over. FOUR! Pulls a bouncer through the vacant mid wicket area and pockets four runs. He launches another short delivery with a pull shot but gets only two this time as the ball is fielded by the deep square leg fielder.

Maharaj for his third over. FOUR! Santner punches through mid off and gets it past the circle. 100 for New Zealand! BOWLED HIM! Santner misreads the length. Opts to punch a full delivery and sees his off stump knocked.

Mitchell Santner b Maharaj 7 (18)

Tim Southee in now.- Starts with two dot balls.

Ngidi back into the attack. Santner punches the third to deep cover for one run. Another single for for Phillips.

Maharaj for his second. Two singles in the over.

A maiden over from Kagiso Rabada.

Keshav Maharaj is the new bowler in. And the change works! MITCHELL IS OUT! He steps out looking to clear the fence but only puts it high. David Miller gets under it at long off and half of New Zealand is back to the dug out.

Daryl Mitchell c Miller b Maharaj 24 (30)

Mitchell Santner joins Phillips. He gets a single to deep cover to get off the mark.

FOUR for Phillips! Drives it through covers. Two runs on the fourth delivery. He is beaten on the final two deliveries of the over. South Africa opts for a review for the final miss. It thinks there’s an edge. A flat line on the UltraEdge and the review goes to waste.

Coetzee for his fourth over. 5 WIDES! A bouncer goes wayward from the bowler and the ball flies way over the batter and keeper. FOUR! Drilled down to the long on boundary. FOUR more! Clips it through mid wicket. Another clip through the on side but only for two this time. 15 from the over.

Rabada gets Latham! A simple catch to short cover. The delivery looks to have held up in the surface. It takes a leading edge from Latham and goes for a simple catch.

Tom Latham c Maharaj b Rabada 4 (15)

Glenn Phillips joins at No. 6. Gets a single on the first delivery. Edge! Mitchell gets an outside edge but the ball falls betweem de Kock and the first slip. A single on the final delivery to third man.

Coetzee to continue. Just three singles in the over.

Rabada to continue. Mitchell picks a single to square leg. Latham opens the face of his bat to guide a delivery to third man for one.

Coetzee to Mitchell. FOUR! Short delivery and Mitchell pummels it to mid wicket. The ball teases Temba Bavuma on its way to the fence. Clips the final delivery to square leg for one.

Tom Latham plays out six dot balls from Rabada.

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FOUR for Will Young. Gerald Coetzee bowls short and Young packs it away to the fence. NICKED and gone! Young is out on the next delivery. Pokes away from his body and hands an edge to de Kock.

Will Young c de Kock b Coetzee 33 (37)

Tom Latham puts a short delivery to third man for a single.

New Zealand needs 249 runs to win in 24 overs.

Kagiso Rabada into the attack now. Young gets a run down to fine leg. FOUR! SHOT! Daryl Mitchell with a classic on drive. New Zealand gets to 50 runs. Now a single to fine leg off an inside edge.

Jansen to Ravindra. Driven through mid off but Bavuma dives to prevent it from going beyond the circle. FOUR! Slapped through covers on a shorter delivery. A wide next from Jansen. CAUGHT! Ravindra falls. A top edge on an attempted pull but the bounce is too much for him.

Rachin Ravindra c Coetzee b Jansen 9 (16)

FOUR! Ngidi strays on the pads and Young flicks it to the square leg fence. FOUR more! A wild slash takes an edge and flies over the slips. Young will take them however they may come. A couple on the fifth delivery with a cut to deep point. 10 runs from the over.

Jansen for his fourth over. Young places a full and wide delivery to third man for one run. Ravindra taps to mid off for a single. Young collects a single with a clip to mid on. An audacious upper cut on the final delivery from Ravindra, misses the shot and the edge.

Ngidi to Young. Collects a leg bye to fine leg on the second delivery. One run for Ravindra, taps to covers with soft hands and by the time the fielder comes up to field it, Ravindra is at the non-striker’s end. Young chips it over mid wicket but Reeza Hendricks slides to keep the shot to three runs. Ravindra nearly chips it to short mid wicket while flicking a full delivery.

Jansen to continue. Drills in a yorker first up to Ravindra who is able to block it. 4 byes! Jansen gets it to nip back in and beat Ravindra through his gate. Quinton de Kock misses it too and NZ gets four runs. Young opts to pull the fifth delivery. Does not middle it but lucky to see it land beyond mid on. Six from the over.

Ngidi to Young, FOUR! Width on offer and he drills it through covers. A single on the next delivery. Taps it in front of him and Rachin Ravindra pushes him to go for it. Rachin Ravindra off the mark on his first delivery.

BEATEN! Conway drives away from his body and Jansen’s away movement after pitching beats him. A single with a tap to fine leg on the second delivery. Two more dots for Young. He’s played eight on the trot now. An outside edge to third man for one run on the fifth delivery. OUT! Conway is gone! A back-of-a-length ball which rises on Conway. he edges it to second slip.

Devon Conway c Markram b Jansen 2 (6)

Lungi Ngidi to bowl the second over. A maiden. Young gets bat to it but all the shots were aimed in the direction of the fielders.

Marco Jansen to Conway, EDGE! The drive gets a thick outside edge and flies through the vacant gully region; one run. Young with a swing and miss on the second. FOUR! Gets a glance fine enough to get NZ its first boundary of the innings. A single on the fourth to fine leg.

Okay then, we’re set to go for the run chase. It is Devon Conway with Will Young walking out for NZ.

Another terrific batting performance by South Africa gets it to 357/4. Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen scored centuries to setup a great platform. Good cameo by Miller gets the Proteas past 350-run mark, again!

New Zealand bowlers had another forgettable day. Matt Henry’s injury didn’t help either. Tim Southee took two wickets and a wicket each for Boult and Neesham as well.

Can New Zealand chase it down? They are one of the best chasing sides in the World Cup! A fascinating contest awaits.

Neesham to bowl the last over. Slot ball but Miller misses and can only take a single. Width on offer and Klaasen cuts it over point for four! Good effort in the deep but can’t the save the boundary. Short ball and only a single. Full on the pads and Miller picks it over square leg for a SIX. Miller now attempts to hit over long off and Mitchell does it well to catch it. Had to push the ball in the air as he went over the ropes. Smart catch. Miller has to go. OUT! He goes for 53 off 30 balls.

Aiden Markram to face the last ball of the innings. Short ball and Markram hooks it over fine leg for a SIX! What a way to finish the innings.

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NZ vs SA: South Africa breaks record for most sixes in a World Cup edition, hits 15 against New Zealand in Pune

The Proteas crossed the record of 76 sixes which was held by England.

Boult. A single on the first ball. Now Miller drives towards covers for four! Followed by two singles. Well bowled again and another single. In the slot and Klaasen smacks it over long off for a SIX to end the over.

OUT! Southee removes van der Dussen on the first ball of the over. Straight, he went for a slog, misses it and gets clean bowled. He goes for 133 off 118 balls.

Heinrich Klaasen is at the crease now. A single on the first ball. Slot ball and Miller slaps it over deep midwicket for a SIX! Outside off, Miller attempts a hard drive but gets beaten. A single on the next ball. Klaasen takes a single. 10 runs off the over and a wicket.

Boult for his ninth over. Two singles off the first two balls. Full and on the pads and Miller nudges it past short fine leg for four. A single on the next ball. Outside off stump, very close to wide line, Van der Dussen lets it go but umpire doesn’t call it a wide. Single on the last ball. Eight off the over.

Glenn Philips is back. Interesting... Van der Dussen the first ball for a single towards midwicket. Wide, way outside off stump. Miller gets full and wide, and he hits over covers for a SIX! Half-tracker and Miller pulls it over midwicket for another maximum. Way outside off stump and wide. A single towards covers then. Another single, this time by van der Dussen. 15 runs off the over.

Southee for his ninth. Miller takes a double on the first ball. Decent over so far. Five runs in four balls. Not anymore as van der Dussen gets a slow ball in the slot and he smacks it straight way over long on for a SIX. 11 runs off the over.

Van der Dussen begins the Neesham over with a boundary through the covers. Van der Dussen hits it high in the air but falls safely. Full and van der Dussen smacks it straight, Boult at long off dives, gets a hand to the ball but the ball jumps over the ropes for a SIX! Hard luck. This one’s cleaner by the South African as he hits way over long on to end the over with another maximum.

Santner into his last over. He’s showing why he is one of the best defensive bowlers in the world currently. Six runs in that over.

Neesham is back. Decent start to the over; three singles off first three balls. Slow ball and van der Dussen places it past fine leg, goes for four and he reaches his CENTURY in 101 balls! 10 runs off the over.

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Most runs in an ODI World Cup edition: De Kock enters top 10, Sachin leads list

India’s Sachin Tendulkar sits top of the list with 673 runs in the 2003 World Cup. South Africa’s Quinton de Kock entered the top 10 with hundred against New Zealand in Pune.

Santner is into the attack. David Miller is the new man in. Santner comes over the wicket to left-hander Miller. Hint of turn and Miller is beaten. Keeper appeals but umpire doesn’t think so. Latham takes a review. No bat involved and the decision stays. A good tight over so far, just three singles in five balls. Can he finish well? A single on the last ball as well.

Southee continues. Three runs on the first three balls. van der Dussen gets a half-tracker and cuts is past point for four! Easy pickings and he gets into the 90s with that. 200-run partnership between these two now. Slower ball outside off stump, de Kock goes for a cut but hands it straight to point. OUT! de Kock is gone for 114 off 116 balls.

Boult for his eighth over now. Full ball and de Kock smacks it straight and Boult grabs it. Umpires check it if has bounced or not. A clear bounce and de Kock will continue. de Kock once again gets it in the slot and smacks it over covers for four! Seven runs off the over.

Southee for his seventh over. de Kock picks the off cutter and smacks it straight past the bowler for four!

Now van der Dussen punches a half-tracker by Santner for four towards covers. Nine runs from the over.

van der Dussen makes room, Neesham follows him but bowls a full toss. van der Dussen hits it straight to Neesham but he fails to grab it! Chance dropped. Neesham is being attended by the physio now. Not a good sight for the Kiwi fans.

Neesham continues. He’s fine. van der Dussen makes room again and slog it over midwicket for four. DROPPED! Boult drop van der Dussen at sweeper cover. An inside out lofted shot but the ball goes just over Boult. de KOCK REACHES HIS CENTURY WITH A SIX. On the pads and he picks it over square leg. His fourth century in this World Cup.

Santner bowled a decent over. Just six runs off that over.

South Africa getting a move on here? de Kock smacks Neesham over mid-on for a four to start the over. de Kock into the 90s now with a double. Nine runs off the over. 150-run partnership between these two now!

van der Dussen reverse sweeps Santner but a good fielding in the deep cuts it to just three runs. And now de Kock reverse sweeps and he does get the boundary. 10 runs off the over.

Boult bowling his seventh over now. van der Dussen goes for a slog, gets an inside edge and it goes for four behind keeper. Seven runs off the over.

Southee into his sixth over now. Short ball and de Kock pulls it fine for four. He initially went for a scoop but Southee bowled it short so de Kock had to change it in the last minute. Seven runs from the over.

Trent Boult is back. Three dot balls to begin with. And another dot ball. Van der Dussen might be feeling the heat here. Down the leg and a very loud appeal by the Kiwis but nothing from the umpire. No review taken and even the wide is not given. Just a single from the over.

Tim Southee for his fifth over. Two singles in the first four balls so far. van der Dussen takes a single and reaches his fifty in 61 balls. Also, 150-up for South Africa. Lose delivery from Southee and de Kock places it towards fine leg for four to end the over.

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NZ vs SA, World Cup 2023: Matt Henry to go for scans after pulling hamstring

New Zealand’s Matt Henry walked off the field mid-over with a hamstring injury during the side’s World Cup game against South Africa in Pune on Wednesday.

Phillips continues. Running between the wickets has been the core of this partnership. Not much coming off from the boundaries. Just as we say, Phillips bowls one on the pads and de Kock lofts over midwicket and gets a four to end the over.

Henry for his sixth over. Something’s happened here. Henry might have pulled his hamstring. Henry has walked off and James Neesham is filling in for him. Just two runs off the over.

Phillips continues. Four runs in the first three balls. And another single towards square leg. Van der Dussen comes down the track and hits it straight over the bowler’s head for a SIX to end the over.

Matt Henry back for his second spell. A wide delivery to start the over. Six singles in the over.

CHANCE! De Kock charges down to loft Phillips on the off side but the bat turns in his hand. Nearly caught by the fielder at long off. De Kock is caught,think the NZ players. He goes for a reverse sweep which is caught at point. But the umpires go up to check and find out a bumped-ball. A single off the final delivery makes it three from it.

Ravindra to de Kock, picks a single to long on. FOUR! Van der Dussen opens his face on a cut to beat the infield. Five runs from the over.

Phillips to de Kock, a single to deep cover. Two more singles in the over makes it three from the over.

SIX from van der Dussen to welcome Rachin Ravindra. A juicy full toss and the batter accepts the gift. 100 up for South Africa! FOUR! De Kock finally gets his reverse sweep right. A gentle clip to deep mid wicket by de Kock for his 50!

Glenn Phillips for his second over. Just one run from the over.

Santner continues. SIX! Great use of the feet. De Kock walks down the wicket and hoicks it over to the sight screen. A single to long on on the next delivery. 10 runs from the over.

Glenn Phillips is introduced into the attack. Starts off with two dot balls. Third ball, de Kock comes down the track and lofts him, the ball goes high in the air but doesn’t have enought power. Luckily falls in no man’s land and de Kock safely takes a single. van der Dussen reverse paddles for four to end the over.

Santner for his fourth over. De Kock goes for a reverse sweep but the delivery is angling down the leg. The shot comes off an edge, hits the pad and pops up in the air. De Kock is safe though and takes a single. Van der Dussen punches to deep point for another single. A punch to long on by de Kock for the third run of the over.

FOUR! Short from Southee and de Kock pulls it to the fine leg fence. SIX now! Hit down the ground on a slightly fuller delivery. A single with a soft-handed punch to covers now. A wide in the over makes it 12 runs off it.

Santner to van der Dussen. Goes back into his crease and pockets a single. De Kock makes room for a delivery on middle stump line and cuts it to deep point for one run.

Southee to continue. De Kock pockets one run with a push to mid on. Van der Dussen flicks it to fine leg for just the second run from the over.

Santner to de Kock, clips away to deep square for one. Van der Dussen with a single to long off. De Kock nearly plays it into the hands of Santner but the ball drops short. One wide and de Kock’s single to long on with a step makes it four runs from the over.

Southee to van der Dussen, one run to deep mid wicket. A well-timed drive from de Kock down the ground but mid off keeps it down to one. Now Matt Henry puts in a dive to keep van der Dussen’s drive to just one. De Kock cuts away to deep point region for a single. Van der Dussen pulls but only at the fine leg fielder; one run. The sixth single in the over from de Kock.

Mitchell Santner into the attack. De Kock reverse sweeps it right away but the third man stops it. A single on the next. Van der Dussen punches to deep cover to run one. One more run to de Kock’s tally. Van der Dussen drives the final ball to pick a single.

Tim Southee into the attack now. De Kock defends the first delivery. DROPPED! Glenn Phillips lunges to his right to get a hand to a miscued punch by de Kock. Pops out of his hand. FOUR! The Natraj shot from van der Dussen to send a half tracker to the fence.

Boult for his fifth over. A bouncer first up for de Kock and he cannot get out of the way in time. Takes a hit on his shoulder. Works the next delivery from middle stump to fine leg. GONE! Bavuma nicks it to first slip. The length is there on offer to drive but Bavuma gets an edge to it and Daryl Mitchell does well to get his hands on a dying down ball.

Temba Bavuma c Mitchell b Boult 24 (28)

Rassie van der Dussen in the middle now. Sees out the three deliveries in the over.

Henry continues. FOUR to start. Misses his line and angles it down leg. Bavuma nudges it on its way to fine leg. FOUR more. Bavuma walks out on this and flicks it with brilliant use of the wrists.

Boult to de Kock, two runs. Clips a delivery from his pads and Rachin Ravindra cuts it off in the deep from fine leg. First FOUR for de Kock! Square drives it between point and cover. A wide down the leg from Boult. Seven runs from the over.

Henry to de Kock, one run as an inside edge runs down to fine leg. SIX for Bavuma! A lofted drive on an over pitched delivery lands beyond the boundary line.

Boult to de Kock, defends on the off stump line. The second is a touch fuller and de Kock drives to mid off. The third is on the pads and de Kock mistimes his clip; one leg bye. Three dots for Bavuma to end the over.

Henry to Bavuma, beats the outside edge. FOUR! The first boundary of the innings. Too full and Bavuma drives it through extra cover. Another one on the fourth delivery. Bavuma gets a move on. Eight runs from the over.

Boult to de Kock. Stumpline attack by Boult and de Kock is happy to defend. Little excitement on the third ball as Boult appeals for caught behind but it is the thigh pad. No review taken. Single on the next ball. Bavuma leaves the first ball he faces off Boult. Another two-run over.

Matt Henry to Bavuma, well left on the first ball. Jaffa, Bavuma tries to flirt with the ball but it seams away and beats the outside the edge. Four dots to begin with. Thickish outside edge towards deep third for a single gets Bavuma off the mark. de Kock takes a single as well. Two runs off the over.

Trent Boult with the new ball to de Kock. A dot to start with. First runs on the board as de Kock hits an on off-drive and a good effort by Tim Southee to stop the boundary. A double to start. Quiet first over.

We are done with the national anthems.

Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock will be opening the innings for South Africa. Let’s see how much the Proteas will score today.

Reminder: South Africa has crossed 300 everytime it has batted first in this World Cup.

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David Willey announces international retirement after ODI World Cup 2023

England seamer David Willey on Tuesday announced his international retirement from all formats effectively from the end of his team’s World Cup 2023 campaign in India.

South Africa - Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

New Zealand - Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w/c), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Trent Boult

New Zealand has won the toss and opts to bowl.

One change for NZ - Tim Southee comes for Lockie Ferguson.

One change for SA - Kagiso Rabada in for Tabraiz Shamsi.

62m and 67m square boundaries, 74m straight hit.

Looks two-paced and might slow down as the game progresses, assesses Ricky Ponting ahead of the toss.

Matches played: 8

New Zealand: 6

South Africa: 2

Last result: New Zealand won by four wickets (2019)

The last time South Africa and New Zealand played an ODI was in the 2019 World Cup. The Kiwis defeated Proteas in that game.

Less than a week after the Springboks lifted the Rugby World Cup, their cricket counterparts are inspired to do their bit on a cricket field.

Read what Rassie van der Dussen had to say ahead of game

NZ vs SA, World Cup 2023: Springboks win can inspire team to success, says van der Dussen

Rassie van der Dussen, the South Africa batter, said the team is inspired the success of the Springboks ahead of its World Cup clash versus New Zealand.

While Kane Williamson has been ruled out today, a few other calls over other players need to taken.

ICC World Cup 2023: Fitness concerns on Latham’s mind as New Zealand targets South Africa’s red-hot batters

NZ vs SA, ODI World Cup 2023: Latham said his side will look to counter South Africa’s batting unit, which has taken the World Cup by storm with its hard-hitting approach.

Do you hedge your bets on your strong suit or do you take your opponent to an uneasy terrain, along with you?

Pranay Rajiv asks as he analyses New Zealand and South Africa’s preferred mode of playing in World Cups.

Read his analysis here:

NZ vs SA, ICC World Cup 2023: New Zealand and South Africa face conundrum in Pune - to chase or not to chase

NZ vs SA Toss, ICC World Cup 2023: With New Zealand preferring to chase down targets and South Africa showing an inclination for setting them, it will be interesting to see what call the captains decide to do at the toss in Pune.

No, they have not. But the task is not that complicated from here for either of the sides.

He still hasn’t fully recovered and won’t be available for today’s match.

More details here:

NZ VS SA, World Cup 2023: Williamson ruled out of South Africa game despite injury progress

Kane Williamson has been ruled out of New Zealand’s next ODI World Cup fixture against South Africa in Pune the team announced on Tuesday.

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Trent Boult

South Africa: Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada

The 32nd match of the ICC World Cup 2023 between New Zealand and South Africa will be telecasted live on Star Sports network. The match will be live streamed on Disney+Hotstar. NZ vs SA is schedule to start from 2 PM IST.

Even before the Men’s World Cup began, Wednesday’s clash was expected to be one of the highlights of the league stage. The manner in which the tournament has progressed makes it an even more tantalising affair.

After all, New Zealand and South Africa are among the favourites to enter the semifinals. The winning outfit at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) stadium will set one foot in the last four, while the losing team may well have to face the table-topper in the semifinal.

Their performance in the 2023 edition may be similar but when it comes to the World Cup history, both the teams are poles apart. While New Zealand has consistently punched above its weight in the tournament, the C-word has been synonymous with South Africa ever since its World Cup debut in 1992.

Add to that the fact that the Proteas have not defeated the Black Caps since the 1999 World Cup - the odds are firmly stacked against Temba Bavuma’s side. But as Rassie van der Dussen insisted during the media conference, the present lot does not carry the baggage of the past, be it about its World Cup record against the Kiwis or the tag.

More than the choker tag, the Proteas will be concerned about the other C-word - chase - as the World Cup nears its business end. Despite piling on tons of runs while setting a target, the Proteas have struggled while chasing totals in the recent past, more so in the tournament.

After failing to cross the line against the Netherlands, South Africa nearly made a mess of its chase versus Pakistan in its last outing. While New Zealand will be hoping to exploit the weakness, Tom Latham’s men will be hoping to find the right balance.

Kane Williamson may have been seen batting in the nets for the first time since fracturing his thumb in his only outing so far against Bangladesh, but the veteran is yet to be match-fit. Besides, Lockie Ferguson’s Achilles injury against Australia is set to offer Tim Southee his first game of the Cup.

James Neesham is set to be persisted with over Mark Chapman but New Zealand will be hoping for Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell to continue their exploits to match the Proteas onslaught.

With both sides having been involved in thrilling games in their last games, the fans will be hoping for yet another nail-biting finish come Wednesday.

- Amol Karhadkar