Reenergized South Africa and Australia clash with semi-final berth up for grabs

The two teams to have set the pace early in Group B of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will now play each other in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, as the Pakistan leg of the tournament shifts for three matches to the administrative division of the Punjab province. 

South Africa, buoyed by the return of several first-choice players, ended a run of six ODI losses in a row by defeating Afghanistan by 107 runs in Karachi. A day later, the reigning ODI champions, without seven players from their victorious 2023 World Cup run, and having lost successive games in Sri Lanka recently, pulled off the highest successful chase in Champions Trophy history. 

Presto, two sides with poor recent form have moved themselves into a strong position to progress from Group A to the semi-finals. The winner of this match in Rawalpindi will all but seal their place in the final four, just as India did yesterday by beating Pakistan in Dubai. 

On a hard Karachi surface, batting first, South Africa made it to their second-highest total in the Champions Trophy, one shy of what the 2002 side made against Kenya, with Ryan Rickleton scoring his first century in the format. Under lights, as the cracks started to widen, South Africa’s quartet of fast men made life difficult for Afghanistan and a big win was secured. 

The following day, Steve Smith’s decision to bowl on a Gaddafi Stadium track known to provide loads of runs looked a disastrous call after Ben Duckett smashed 165 to help England post a Champions Trophy record total of 351. But Smith had noticed something about the Lahore venue’s nature during Australia’s practice sessions in the buildup to that match, and that was how damp and skiddy the conditions became. Smith’s gamble paid off, thanks to fifties to Matthew Short and Alex Carey before the England-born Josh Inglis turned matters up several notches with a stunning 120* off 86 balls as a target of 352 was hunted down with 15 deliveries remaining.

What these two results have done is re-vitalise both Australia and South Africa ahead of this crunch game, which sets up a mouth-watering contest. And while the formats are completely different, there is a the side narrative of these two teams meeting in about 100-odd days in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s. 

When Australia last played South Africa in an ODI, they eliminated them once again from the semi-final stage of a World Cup they went on to win, just as happened in 1999, 2007 and 2023. The stakes are of course different in Rawalpindi, but South Africa will see it as a knockout against their toughest rivals at ICC events. 

Australia might make one change to their bowling, potentially swapping Spencer Johnson, who leaked 54 runs in seven overs in Lahore, for Sean Abbott or Aaron Hardie which would further lengthen their batting order as well. 

South Africa have not given an update on the availability of Heinrich Klaasen, who was rested for the Afghanistan game as a precaution concerning his left elbow. If he is passed fit, Klaasen would foreseeably take Tony de Zorsi’s place, with Temba Bavuma moving up to open the innings with Rickleton. 

Australia likely 11: 1 Matthew Short, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steve Smith (capt), 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Ben Dwarshius, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Spencer Johnson 

South Africa likely 11: Ryan Rickleton, 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 5 Aiden Markram, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Wiaan Mulder, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi