Australia advance to the Cricket World Cup final after beating South Africa to set up a showdown with hosts India

Australia will play India in Sunday’s World Cup final after imposing their big-game nous on a South Africa side that fell short yet again when it mattered.

Chasing 213 on a turning track at Eden Gardens after a David Miller century had turned round a disastrous start by South Africa, Australia made life hard for themselves with a string of reckless strokes.

But Travis Head’s 62 off 48 balls had given them wriggle room, and not even a collapse to 193 for seven could prevent the Australians from reaching an eighth one-day World Cup final. 

‘It was a nerve-wracking couple of hours,’ said their captain Pat Cummins, who hit the winning runs with 16 balls to spare.

For South Africa, who have now lost seven out of seven semi-finals in the two white-ball formats, it was a galling end to a tournament in which their big hitting has been one of the highlights. 

At 24 for four in the 12th over against the relentless Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, their old propensity to crumble under pressure seemed to have returned. 

And when Head struck twice in two balls with his occasional off-spin to make it 119 for six, Australia had one foot in the final.

But Miller kept South Africa in it, before their spinners helped drag back a rapid start. However, five chances went down in the field, leaving South Africa’s coach Rob Walter to deny an old stereotype.

‘For me, a choke is losing a game you’re in a position to win,’ he said. ‘But we were behind the eight-ball from the word go. There was nothing in it remotely close to a choke.’

Australia, who have won their last eight games, will now travel to Ahmedabad to face an India side who have won 10 out of 10. Something will have to give.