Australia are all set to take on South Africa in the semi-final of 2023 Cricket World Cup on November 16 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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The Proteas finished second in the league stage behind India, after suffering just two losses in the tournament. They have looked like one of the most destructive batting units in the competition, and it will take some real quality to get past them.
Australia lost their first two matches to India and South Africa, but bounced back by winning their next 7 games in a row. Their last two games have seen a couple of batters score huge centuries, with Mitchell Marsh's 177* against Bangladesh and Glenn Maxwell's 201* vs Afghanistan.
This venue has a rich cricketing history, making it one of the best hosts for a clash as big as a semi-final. However, there is still a concern among many on how dew could play a decisive factor in the outcome of the match.
But is the dew factor really relevant at the Eden Gardens Stadium? Let's look back at how it has impacted the 2023 World Cup matches.
How has dew impacted World Cup 2023 matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata?
The Eden Gardens Stadium has hosted a total of four matches in the 2023 World Cup so far. Three of these games have been won by the sides batting first and that too by significant margins.
The first game saw the Netherlands beat Bangladesh by 87 runs. After batting first, the Dutch posted a score of 229 runs on the board. In response, the Bangla tigers were bundled for 142 runs only.
However, in the second match, Pakistan chased down Bangaldesh's total of 204 runs in just 32.3 overs. Shakib Al-Hasan and Co were toothless with the ball and riding on Fakhar Zaman's 81 of 74 balls, Pakistan sealed a comfortable victory by seven wickets.
In the third match, India hosted South Africa and the Men in Blue put on an intimidating score of 328 runs on a slow batting wicket, courtesy of a century from Virat Kohli. In response, the Proteas were castled for just 83 runs with Ravindra Jadeja claiming a fifer.
Whereas, in the fourth match, England beat Pakistan after batting first. They put up 337 runs on the board and restricted their opposition to just 244 runs in the second innings.
The above data is a testament to the fact that dew has played no significant role in the results of the matches held at the Eden Gardens in this World Cup. The use of anti-dew chemicals has successfully mitigated the impact of dew on the matches.
However, the new ball will swing more in the evening giving the faster bowlers a slight edge during the power play. Dew affects the bowling team significantly by making the outfield wet, rendering the ball challenging to grip. This creates a favourable situation for the batters. Fortunately, during the 2023 World Cup, this usual scenario has been notably absent, mitigating the disadvantage traditionally faced by bowlers in the evening.
Who will win the 2023 World Cup?
India are the favourites for the 2023 World Cup title. The odds from Dafabet are as follows:
| Team | Odds (Dafabet) |
|---|---|
| India | 2.15 |
| Australia | 5.00 |
| South Africa | 4.75 |
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