Welcome to Sportstar 's HIGHLIGHTS of the T20 World Cup 2021 match between Australia and South Africa at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
We next head to Dubai, where the 2016 finalists - England and West Indies - face off in a rematch. LIVE BLOG:
Australia beat South Africa by five wickets.
Player of the Match: Josh Hazlewood 2-19 (4 overs)
Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade stitched a crucial 40-run partnership to see Australia home by five wickets in its tournament opener against South Africa in Abu Dhabi.
Chasing a paltry 119, Australia was off to a rocky start with the top three dismissed with just 38 runs on the board. Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell steadied the chase with a run-a-ball 42-run stand before the duo perished in a span of four balls to leave Australia needing 38 runs off 28 balls. Stoinis and Wade then ensured that the chase suffered no further hiccups as Australia, needing eight runs off the last over, snuck home with two balls to spare.
Put in to bat, South Africa was off to a horrendous start with openers Bavuma, de Kock and number three van der Dussen gone early. Aiden Markram (40 off 36) waged a lone battle before Rabada's little cameo of 19* from 23 balls took the Proteas to 118/9.
AUS 121/5 in 19.4 overs: Stoinis goes deep and punches it for a couple. FOUR! Clubbed down the ground and it races like a bullet for four. 2 to win off 4 balls . Dot ball as the fielders have all closed in. 2 to win off 3 balls . FOUR! Full toss at the stumps and Stoinis muscles it away past midwicket. Australia wins!
AUS 111/5 in 19 overs : Nortje to bowl the penultimate over. Huge over coming up. Single off the first for Wade. Dropped! Tough caught and bowled chance missed as Stoinis smashes it arrow straight to collect a couple. Another single off the next ball. Wade slogs one wide outside off to find the fielder square and picks up one. FOUR! Single to end the over. Eight to win off the last ball.
Australia needs 18 runs from 12 balls.
AUS 101/5 in 18 overs: Pretorius with the ball. This will be a crucial over for Australia. Just a single off the first ball by Stoinis. Shuffles to the off and crunches it down mid wicket to find the sweeper. Wide! Pitches just wide of the marker. Single for Wade next ball. Wade is keeping himself busy. Looks to play the ramp again and readjusts to guide it to short third for one. Slapped away for one more and Wade will keep strike.
AUS 94/5 in 17 overs: Rabada to bowl in the death. Three singles and a FOUR ! Driven on the full by Wade and Markram goes for the catch. It drops short of him and runs away to the mid wicket boundary. FOUR! Another boundary and that's a huge load of pressure off their backs.
Australia needs 36 runs from 24 balls.
AUS 83/5 in 16 overs: OUT! You live by the sword and you die by it. Maxwell perishes to the switch-hit. Looks to give the treatment on a straight one and misses the ball comprehensively. Wade comes in. Off the mark with a single. Stoinis goes cheeky on the first ball he faces and survives. Tucked off the pads for a single off the last ball.
AUS 81/4 in 15 overs: Nortje to put some pace back onto the ball. Smith shuffles to the off and misses. Loud LBW appeal but turned down. Looked a little too high. FOUR! Pulled away fiercely for four at square leg. OUT!
AUS 75/3 in 14 overs: FOUR! And finally Maxwell comes into his own. Switch-hit off Shamsi's first ball and it runs away to backward point. Smith is also looking to attack as he smashes one straight but finds the fielder to collect a single.
AUS 68/3 in 13 overs: Maharaj to bowl out. FOUR! Maxwell breaks the shackles. Makes room to slice it over extra cover for a boundary. Eight from the over.
AUS 60/3 in 12 overs: Pretorius from the other end. Continues in the channel area and the batters resist the temptation as they persist with the drives to collect singles in the deep.
AUS 55/3 in 11 overs : into his third over. Just five singles from it. Maharaj keeps it on the stumps as Smith and Maxwell are happy to milk the ones. Smart batting.
AUS 50/3 in 10 overs: Pretorius in the attack. He aims the channel area at a good length and just three come off it. The ball is carrying well and coming on to the bat pretty well. Just a matter of getting your eye in on this wicket.
AUS 47/3 in 9 overs: Shamsi continues to keep the spin heat on. Three singles and Smith finds the rope on the fourth ball. Goes deep and opens the face of the bat to run it late to the boundary at third. Almost chops it on! Wide outside off and Smith looks to slap it away. It doesn't spin enough and he gets the bottom edge that almost disturbs the woodwork behind him.
AUS 39/3 in 8 overs: Maharaj continues. Pummelled by Marsh down the ground and some sharp running gets them two. OUT! Marsh looks to chip it over midwicket but doesn't get enough power into it. van der Dussen was a little too much inside the rope for a sweeper and jumped perfectly in time to complete the catch. Maxwell off the mark with one and retains strike.
AUS 33/2 in 7 overs: Spin from both ends as Shamsi comes in. Marsh goes for the reverse-sweep but finds the fielder at short third. Another tight over from a spinner.
AUS 28/2 in 6 overs: Left-arm off spinner Maharaj bowls. Concedes just five runs with a challenging length that batters find tricky to negotiate.
AUS 23/2 in 5 overs: FOUR! Could this be Warner's return to form? Cuts it very square past a vacant point. Slightly wide of off stump. OUT! In hindsight it all looks like a ploy. Wide outside off again and Warner goes a little uppish on the cut this time to find the fielder at backward point. Smith joins Marsh. FOUR! Smith at his best. Moves across to the off and slaps a short one to the square leg boundary.
AUS 16/1 in 4 overs: Nortje to bowl his second. FOUR! Straight and Marsh opens the face of the bat to deftly glance it through to the square leg boundary. Short and Marsh misses the pull. It jagged back in a bit and gets Marsh on the upper thigh. Great comeback after the first ball four as five dots follow.
AUS 12/1 in 3 overs: Rabada continues. FOUR! Pulled to deep square leg and Warner is off. Two dots. FOUR! This time it is full on the off and Warner dabs it through covers all the way to the rope. Eight from the over.
AUS 4/1 in 2 overs: Nortje starts off strong with three dots. A little wayward on the leg and it is a wide. Brilliant take by de Kock behind the stumps. OUT! Finch plays a nothing shot. A tempting ball short and wide outside off and Finch gets the edge trying to cut square. A great sliding catch at third.
AUS 2/0 in 1 over: Rabada to Warner. Cut straight to cover point. Tight single taken as Warner gets off the mark. Close! Back of length and it gets Finch's gloves and shoots up in the air for a while before landing safely just outside the pitch. Wide down the leg. Finch plays out the over a little tentatively. Just two from the over.
THE CHASE BEGINS
SA 118/9 in 20 overs: Starc to conclude. Full on the stumps and Rabada clears the front leg to slog it along the ground for two. SIX! Loose full-toss and Rabada doesn't miss out. Clears it over long-on. Flicked off the legs for a single down short fine. OUT! Nortje looks to make room and slash it over cover but hands it straight to the fielder. Shamsi comes in. Full and swing and a miss. Batters still steal a single as Wade misses the stumps. Rabada makes room again to clear it on the off but Starc follows him on the legs. Rabada flicks it over mid-wicket for a couple. That's the inning!
SA 106/8 in 19 overs: Cummins to bowl out. He keeps it full on the legs and the tail-enders are finding it hard to get it away. Five from the over as Cummins is persistent with the yorker length.
SA 101/8 in 18 overs: OUT! Markram departs and with that any glimmer of hope for the Proteas. Full on the pad and Markram looks to flick it over midwicket for a boundary but finds the fielder. Nortje joins Rabada at the crease. Good running as Nortje converts a single into two. Hundred up for South Africa!
SA 98/7 in 17 overs: Markram looks to crank up the pace. SIX! Hazlewood dispatched with an audacious pull by Markram over midwicket. Stand and deliver. FOUR! This time Rabada looks to shift gears. Shuffles slightly to swat it down the ground to the boundary.
SA 86/7 in 16 overs : Zampa bowls out, giving away just three in his final over. Keeps a tight off stump length.
SA 83/7 in 15 overs: Nothing seems to be going right for South Africa as Maharaj departs for nought after a run out. He wants an extra off the overthrow and Markram isn't even looking. A comedy of errors. Just one comes off the Cummins over as Rabada joins Markram and is greeted by a bouncer. A mandatory concussion check follows and he is cleared to continue.
SA 82/6 in 14 overs: Zampa with the ball. Loud appeal for LBW and Miller is given out. The DRS confirms no bat involved. OUT! Three reds and it is as plumb as an LBW gets. Pretorius gets the googly first up. Plays close to his stumps and gets the edge in time to steal a single. Markram takes a single. OUT! Pretorius looks to cut too close to the body again and gets the edge this time as Wade pockets it sharply behind the stumps.
SA 77/4 in 13 overs: Hazlewood to bowl his third. Umpire review for a run out and Miller makes his ground with ease. Another tight run taken by Miller after nudging it just in front of short cover. Whipped off the pads to backward square leg and run hard by the batters to collect a couple.
SA 71/4 in 12 overs: Maxwell to bowl out. The pressure was building with just four coming off the first five balls. Maxwell erred in line in the last and Markram made the most of it. Goes deep in his crease to cut it square in front of point.
SA 63/4 in 11 overs: Zampa from the other end. Miller and Markram nudge the ball around to collect four from the over.
SA 59/4 in 10 overs: Maxwell into his third as left-handed Miller is on strike. Punched off the backfoot for a couple past mid-on. Maxwell keeps it tight with just five from the over.
SA 54/4 in 9 overs: Starc is back after an expensive first over. FOUR! Misses his line slightly and Markram dabs it wide of mid-off for a boundary. Lethal yorker to end the over.
SA 46/4 in 8 overs: Cummins continues. FOUR! Over-pitched and Klaasen drives past mid-off for a boundary. Flicked off the pads for one. OUT! Klaasen departs. Full on the stumps and Klaasen gets the leading edge and a great diving forward catch at point.
SA 39/3 in 7 overs: Legspinner Zampa to bowl. On the pads first ball and Klaasen gets a single. Great shot. Cut square off the backfoot by Markram and Cummins pulls in a spectacular dive on the boundary to save one for the team. FOUR! Tossed up and Klaasen hammers it to the deep square leg boundary.
SA 29/3 in 6 overs: Cummins introduced into the attack. On the money straightaway and angles the ball in to Markram. An LBW appeal as Markram shuffles to the off and looks to play fine and misses. FOUR! Stands tall and drives between point and cover. Klaasen off the mark with a single straight of the wicket.
SA 23/3 in 5 overs: Hazlewood on fire. OUT! Gets de Kock first ball of his second over. Unlucky dismissal. He swivelled to flick it behind to fine leg but got the top edge and the ball looped and landed on the stumps...almost in slow-motion. Klaasen is in and has some repair work to do. Five dots on the trot and a wicket-maiden.
SA 23/2 in 4 overs: Maxwell continues. Just one comes off the first three. FOUR! de Kock pulls a short one for four. Reverse-sweeps to get a single off the last and retain strike.
SA 17/2 in 3 overs: Hazlewood replaces Starc. OUT! First ball wicket for Josh. van de Dussen edges it to the keeper trying to nudge at one in the off-side channel area. The assistance off the surface for the quicks early on is showing. Markram joins de Kock. Edges it past the slip cordon for one to get his first run. Four dots to end the over. One run and a wicket from it.
SA 16/1 in 2 overs: Maxwell to bowl spin with the new ball. Bavuma works it down mid-on for a single. de Kock gets off the mark with a nudge off the backfoot. OUT! Maxwell strikes. The ball keeps straight and Bavuma misses a straight one. It kept slightly low and the skipper was found deep in his crease with little footwork. van de Dussen is the new man in. Three singles to end the over.
SA 11/0 in 1 over: Mitchell Starc with the new ball to skipper Bavuma first up. Beautifully timed through cover for a couple of runs on the first ball. FOUR! Little bit of width and Bavuma pounces on it with a cover drive. Exquisite timing again. FOUR! Pitched up and Bavuma plays it slightly squarer past point. Edge down third for a single. de Kock on strike to face his first ball. Plays it straight to cover for a dot.
Both teams take the knee before getting proceedings underway.
The teams are marching onto the field, led by their captains, and they assemble for the national anthems. Both teams will be giving raring to go in their bid for a maiden T20 World Cup title.
Australia has eventually opted for the lone specialist spinner in Zampa and Maxwell will be expected to fill in some overs. Stoinis will add to Australia's bowling depth with his medium pace.
Meanwhile, South Africa's batting looks rock solid but bowling options seem to be a concern. Pretorius will effectively have to bowl his quota of four overs and we may even see Markram rolling his bowling arm over in case one of the bowlers has an off-day.
Australia Playing XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
South Africa Playing XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Australia captain Finch walks onto the field. Glenn Maxwell was seen practising the reverse-sweep on the sidelines, so some inventive 360-degree strokeplay is in the offing.
Pitch report: It's a warm day in Abu Dhabi, no surprises there. The grass is even and the bowlers can expect some purchase off the pitch upfront.
South Africa heads into the fixture in red-hot form
NUMBERS GAME
Australia holds a 3-2 edge in the last five meetings between the sides.
Head-to-head stats
The two teams have met only once earlier in the tournament in 2012. Australia had won that outing in Colombo by eight wickets.
In other Twenty20 international games, the Aussies enjoy a win ratio of 13:8 over the Proteas. One of their 22 contests had ended up getting abandoned.
Key players in AUS vs SA/SA vs AUS
With 457 runs, Australia's burly opener David Warner boasts incredible batting stats against South Africa. He is followed by Quinton de Kock (351) and Aaron Finch (295).
Meanwhile, Finch's deputy Pat Cummins has the most wickets against the South Africans - 12. Ashton Agar (9) and Imran Tahir (8) are the second and third most successful bowlers respectively.
PREDICTED XI
Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi
MATCH PREVIEW
Australia will hope its out-of-form top order fires from the word go when it opens its T20 World Cup campaign against South Africa in a Super 12 Group 1 match here on Saturday.
Australia, searching for its maiden T20 title, enters the tournament on the back of a horrific run, having lost bilateral series to Bangladesh, West Indies, New Zealand, India and England. Many first-choice team members skipped the recent white-ball tours during which Australia managed to win just five and lost 13 matches. Most of their players, therefore, have had scant preparation.
South Africa, on the other hand, will enter the clash high on spirits and in form, having emerged victorious in three consecutive series against defending champion West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka and both the practice games.
Having gone through a revival, the squad doesn’t boast of superstars like the previous Proteas sides and hence expectations to win the tournament are low, removing the massive burden of pressure that usually casts a shadow on the team in every ICC tournament.
(Via PTI)
FULL PREVIEW:T20 World Cup: South Africa test first up for out-of-form Australia
SQUADS:
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Pat Cummins (vc), Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis (wk), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner, Adam Zampa
Reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Keshav Maharaj, Quinton de Kock (wk), Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen
Reserves: George Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lizaad Williams
Where to watch T20 World Cup 2021 - Australia vs South Africa live?
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