South Africa and New Zealand are cricket’s greatest not-quites. They are the reason the world respects the fine line between not winning titles because a team was not good enough and not winning titles because a team was almost good enough. Surely, a day must come when one, or both, breaks free of this curse.
And it’s certainly not as though they don’t get the chances to understand the dynamics and stakes involved in semi-finals and finals. Going by how often they have featured in knockouts in the recent past and how frequently the ICC has started organizing mega-events, the absence of a several hundred-page document titled ‘Foolproof plan for not failing in Finals’ in the hands of players of both team is, at the very least, appalling.
Whenever these two sides are mentioned in the context of a knockout game, one can not possibly ignore the last instance when they met in a mega-event semi-final. Auckland’s air is still thick with the memories of how that game unfolded, how a peak Dale Steyn was smashed for a last-ball six by Grant Elliott, who had never envisaged his team reaching a World Cup final, least of all due to his efforts.
And just like that, when one is forced to recall such moments, winning a trophy does not seem too far off a dream. Yet it remains the farthest still. One of South Africa and New Zealand must outdo the other in Lahore before they can meet the final boss, India, in Dubai for the final reckoning.
While Dubai will not be a familiar territory, both sides have played enough games in Lahore to know it inside out. In fact, the two teams played an ODI in Lahore right before the tournament began. That could help them undo, at least in part, the inconvenience caused by their quick trip to the UAE.
Team Overview:
South Africa’s reliance on only one frontline spinner might not worry them much in this game, but if they make it to the final, this make-up might not remain as sustainable. Aiden Markaram has been declared fit, which implies that George Linde, who could have slotted in as the second frontline spinner, will not be available for selection for the last two games. So whatever South Africa plan to do, they will need to plot it around Keshav Maharaj as the sole spinner. Meanwhile, Temba Bavuma will be back for this game, along with Tony de Zorzi.
New Zealand’s selection headache has grown in stature. Four players are competing for top-order spots: Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, and Will Young. Young and Ravindra will most definitely retain their places, but will New Zealand drop Conway to ensure that a character like Mitchell stays in the team? The conundrum is heightened when considering the fact that Conway scored a match-winning 97 the last time New Zealand played in Lahore.
Head-to-Head Record:
In the 73 ODI matches that both teams have played against each other, South Africa have largely dominated New Zealand by winning 42 games. New Zealand managed to be the better side in 26 matches. 5 one-dayers between the sides ended without any result.
Weather and Pitch Report:
The last game played here was a washout, but Lahore’s weather has since improved significantly. There was some drizzle on the eve of the game, but the forecasts have nothing worrying in store. Gaddafi Stadium has hosted high-scoring clashes, thanks in big part to its batting-friendly surface. Although Afghanistan struggled here on Friday and could only get 273 on board after batting for the entire quota of overs, the track will carry on being the belter it is.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, PTV Sport, Ten Sports, Myco App
India: Star Sports Network, Network 18, JioCinema App
UK: Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action, Sky Sport App
Australia: PrimeVideo
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ, Sky Sports Now, Sky Go
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport Network
Bangladesh: Nagorik TV, T Sports, Toffee app
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV, Sirasa TV
USA: Willow TV
Caribbean: ESPN Caribbean App
MENA: StarzPlay, CricLife Max, CricLife Max 2
