During the second semi-final match of the 2023 World Cup between Australia and South Africa, a teenage cricket fan in the Eden Garden stands recreated Sourav Ganguly’s legendary Lord’s balcony naked celebration. It was a close match on a difficult surface that came down to the wire in the second innings.
South Africa chose to bat first but were dismissed for 212 in 49.4 overs. Australia then got off to a fast start, scoring 60 runs in six overs. The Proteas spinners then slowed the scoring pace and got critical breakthroughs, putting their team back in contention.
The dramatic motion between the bat and the ball wowed the spectators at Eden Gardens. They were engaged in the game, applauding loudly at key moments in the second innings. After South African bowler Gerald Coetzee cleaned up Josh Inglis and reduced Australia to 193/7, an unusual occurrence occurred during the 40th over.
A little boy in the stands was spotted celebrating the wicket by removing his shirt and excitedly twisting it. Everyone was reminded of Sourav Ganguly’s jubilation in Lord’s balcony when India won the Natwest series final in 2002.
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“Our character came through there”- SA captain Temba Bavuma after World Cup semi-final loss
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma praised his teammates for their fighting spirit in the 2023 World Cup semi-final against Australia during the post-match presentation. In reflecting on his loss, he stated:
“Our character came through there. Was a bit of a dog fight. The start with bat and ball put us on the backfoot and we had to play catch up from there. The conditions combined with the quality of the attack. They really put us under pressure and when you are 24/4, you will struggle to get to a good score.
Temba Bavuma
Bavuma added:
“Definitely, we were gaining some confidence with the partnership of Klaasen and Miller. We would have wanted Klaasen to go a bit further as he can turn the match on it’s head. Miller batted quite brilliantly in difficult conditions. We definitely felt we had a chance.”
Temba Bavuma
India against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final will now take place on Sunday, November 19, in Ahmedabad. When the two teams faced off previously in the group stages in Chennai, the hosts triumphed by four wickets against the 2015 winners.
In contrast, Australia triumphed over India in the lone ODI World Cup match between the two teams, which took place in 2003 world cup. On that occasion, India was defeated by 125 runs by Ricky Ponting’s team.
