What happens if South Africa vs. Australia World Cup semifinal gets washed out?

South Africa are taking on Australia in the second semifinal of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, November 16. The five-time champions and the Proteas ended on 14 points each in the group stage. The match is crucial as the winner will take on India in the finals on November 19 (Sunday).

However, the contest was interrupted by rain during the first innings of the match. If the rain doesn’t stop then the reserved day becomes a crucial factor. The reserved day, scheduled for Friday, serves as a contingency to ensure the completion of the match. 

Cricket‘s governing body implements reserve days in knockout stages to mitigate weather-related interruptions. However, both the teams and fans will hope to not see further rain interruptions, as the outcome on the field will determine which nation advances to the final. 

Brilliant bowling performance by Australia

Kolkata has experienced continuous rainfall in recent days, with the weather department forecasting potential rain on both Thursday and the Reserve Day on Friday. The maximum temperature during the match toss at 1:30 pm IST on Thursday was anticipated to be around 29 degrees Celsius. With approximately 69 percent humidity, 100 percent cloud cover, and at least a 25 percent chance of rain, the weather conditions may impact the crucial semi-final.

Talking about the match so far, after winning the toss, South Africa opted to bat but faced a formidable challenge from Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The duo maintained relentless precision in their deliveries, with the Australian fielders displaying exceptional agility. Consequently, South Africa struggled to amass a mere 28 runs in the initial 12 overs, losing all of their top 4 batters. 

The situation worsened when Hazlewood dismissed Rassie van der Dussen in the 12th over, bringing together South Africa’s finishers, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller. Unfortunately, rain interrupted play two overs later, with South Africa standing at 44/4 after 14 overs.