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Australia has won all four of its games in this T20 World Cup, going undefeated. They won a thrilling battle against India by nine runs in their most recent group play. South Africa lost their second tournament match versus England, leaving them with a 3-1 record.
Alyssa Healy, Australia’s captain, was absent from their match against India. She was on crutches when she got to the Sharjah game because she had hurt her foot while batting 37 against Pakistan on Friday. In her absence, Tahlia McGrath guided the team, with Ellyse Perry filling in and Beth Mooney taking care of the wickets.
“As it stands, it’s the same thing for Midgie [Healy],” Perry said on the eve of the semi-final. “The medical staff and the team are going to give her every opportunity and possibility of playing tomorrow night but I don’t think anything’s changed in that respect. We’ll just have to see in the next 24 hours.”
Heather Graham was designated the replacement for fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, who was forced out of the tournament after suffering a shoulder injury during her T20 World Cup comeback against Pakistan. For the India match, Grace Harris and Darcie Brown were added to the starting XI.
South Africa is not concerned about injuries and is not likely to alter their winning lineup. In their ten T20I matches against Australia, they have only won one, which is not a fantastic record. In a bilateral series, they won their first-ever game in Canberra in January of this year.
In both formats, South Africa has not defeated Australia in a single World Cup match. The 2023 T20 World Cup final, which saw South Africa lose heartbreakingly in front of their home fans in Cape Town, will be recapped on Thursday.
During this tournament, South Africa has played three matches in Dubai, whereas Australia has only played one match there, against Pakistan. India scored the highest first-inning total of 172 against Sri Lanka last Wednesday. The average first-inning score is 126.
Megan Schutt, an experienced pacer, has been instrumental in all four of Australia’s victories with her economical stints. On a spin-friendly surface, she opened the tournament with 3 for 12 against Sri Lanka. She then completed with impressive figures of 3 for 3 against New Zealand, and in Dubai, she backed that up with 1 for 7 in her three overs against Pakistan. She conceded 24 runs in her opening three overs against India, but she came back to shift the tide of the match by giving up just one run in the 17th over, giving India 40 to score off of 18 balls.
One of South Africa’s greatest assets has been Tazmin Brits’ strong start. Her first-round score was 57 not out, but in her next two games, she scored more than 40 runs. She scored 42 off 41 balls in a patient innings against Bangladesh on a slow wicket to lead South Africa to a convincing victory. She also contributed significantly to South Africa’s sole T20I victory over Australia earlier in the year, hitting a scorching 41 off 28 with eight fours in a 143-run chase.