In a much-anticipated clash of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, England won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa at the historic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This iconic venue holds memories of the 2011 World Cup final when India emerged victorious against Sri Lanka.
Why is Sam Curran not playing today
Sam Curran had a forgettable tournament so far. He has been leaking runs with the ball and neither performing with the bat. The bowling attack looked very weak with Sam Curran not picking wickets. He was hammered for 20 runs in a single over by Gurbaz in the last match.
Both England and South Africa entered this contest seeking redemption following humiliating defeats in their previous outings. England secured their only win of the tournament against Bangladesh and aimed to bounce back from a disappointing 69-run loss to Afghanistan. The Three Lions were determined to put the shadow of that defeat behind them.
Meanwhile, South Africa aimed to regain their dominant form after a heartbreaking 38-run loss to the Netherlands. The Proteas’ batsmen had shown promise, but their inability to chase down a target of 246 runs raised questions about their ability to chase big scores.
England sat at the sixth position in the points table with just 2 points and a net run rate of -0.84. Reigning champions had won two out of three matches. South Africa remained in the top four with two solid wins against Sri Lanka and Australia. They held the third position with a net run rate of +1.385.
England and South Africa Playing XI squad:
Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(w/c), David Willey, Adil Rashid, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Reece Topley
South Africa Playing XI- Quinton de Kock(w/k), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
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