🏏ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Aus vs SA, Match 7, Group B🏏 - Page 4

Australia

Not having Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis around didn't stop the Aussies from roaring to a rousing win over England. That should mean there's no reason to tamper with the XI.

Probable XI: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steve Smith (capt), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson

Some possibility of rain in Rawalpindi!

Apparently the pitch is covered currently and it's overcast (via Kass Naidoo on Twitter), but there's no rain currently.

Fasten your seat belts folks as we gear up for the blockbuster clash between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi. To start with, there's some rain in the radar but let's hope it doesn't play spoilsport. Before the tournament began, there were question marks raised over Australia’s pedigree to go the distance in the marquee event – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were all out and Stoinis announced his retirement from ODI cricket. Their new-look bowling attack was tested against England in the last game. But, the fact that their batters flourished enabled them to record the highest run-chase (352) in the history of the competition. The surface here is usually conducive for strokeplay. The Aussie bowling attack can once again come under the pump but they are a champion side who know how to thrive under testing circumstances.

South Africa, on the other hand, won their opening game with flying colours. They have been exposed against quality spin in the past but their batters ensured that they keep the Afghani spinners largely at bay. Rickelton’s brilliant century laid the foundation while their middle-order put in a solid performance. The Proteas defended 315 with consummate ease, scripting a 107-run win that boosted their net run-rate to a nicety. Their seamers prospered while their lone spinner in Maharaj was frugal.

Both teams have strong batting lineups and that raises the expectations of a high-scoring clash. Whenever these two teams lock horns in an ICC event, there’s always excitement and thrill around! In the 2023 ODI WC semi-final, the Proteas were restricted to a modest score of 212 by Australia. The Protea bowlers however put their best foot forward and pushed the Aussies to the hilt. Australia managed to scamper through to a tense 3-wicket victory in the death overs. Will we see a run-fest this time around? Whichever team wins today, they will bolster their chances to make it to the semi-finals. The team losing today’s contest will face a do-or-die situation in their final group game. Let’s hope the rain clouds stay away. Toss and team lineups will be announced shortly...

Afternoon, everyone. Tonight's game comes to you from Rawalpindi, where two teams with very similar arcs thus far fight to get on top of Group B. Both Australia and South Africa came into this Champions Trophy with key fast bowlers missing, and both came in on the back of worrying losing streaks. Both, however, have begun the tournament with impressive wins, and they'll now look to strengthen their claims for semi-finals slots. These two teams have had some epic World Cup showdowns over the years - in that tournament, Australia have a 5-3 head-to-head advantage (6-3 if you count the Edgbaston tie in 1999) - but they've never met before in the Champions Trophy. So much ODI history, then, but also an entirely blank slate. Let's hope we're in for something tasty tonight.

Uh oh. It looks like it's drizzling in Rawalpindi at the moment. The square and run-up areas are under covers.

Satyajeet: "Rain, South Africa and ICC Tournaments are a match made in heaven. They should schedule matches of South Africa in areas with drought and it would surely rain there."

Durgesh Kulkarn: "Think Smith is gonna score a long overdue century today! Believe it or not , for all his Test heroics, guy hasnt scored an ODI hundred since Sept 2022."

cant choose whom to predict. Both teams are strong Cant trust either of them but AUS might have the upper hand despite key players missing