Australia vs South Africa - Match Preview, Fantasy, Key Players, Pitch Report, Probable XI & More (13th, T20I World Cup)
Match 13 of the T20 World Cup 2021 has Australia (AUS) taking on South Africa (SA) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
The opening game of the Super 12 stage pits Australia against South Africa, with both teams seeking their maiden T20 World Cup title. Although Australia come into the tournament on the back of poor form, they have the resources to flip the script. They face a strong South Africa side who will bank on their bowling might to see them through in this game. With some of the best T20 players in Quinton de Kock and Mitchell Starc taking centre stage, an entertaining game beckons in Abu Dhabi.
Pitch Report
As seen in the previous game, a competitive track beckons in Abu Dhabi with help on offer for both the batters and bowlers. As there isn't much swing on offer for the pacers, the batters will look to maximize the powerplay restrictions. As the match progresses, the pitch will get slower with the pacers also likely to change their pace. Wickets in hand will be key, with both teams likely to prefer batting first upon winning the toss.
Today’s AUS vs SA match top picks
Wicketkeeper
Quinton de Kock: Quinton de Kock has been in great form in the T20I format. His ability to score quick runs and convert starts into big ones holds him in good stead and should give him the nod over Matthew Wade in your AUS vs SA Dream11 fantasy team.
Batter
David Warner: David Warner is set to open the batting for Australia, but his form isn't too promising. Although the southpaw is down on confidence, his knack for coming up trumps in big matches should be taken into account. With top-order batters likely to have a significant say in this game, Warner is one to watch out for.
All-rounder
Glenn Maxwell: Glenn Maxwell comes into the tournament on the back of a stellar IPL 2021 campaign, scoring in excess of 500 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore. With form on his side and his bowling ability also bound to come into play, Maxwell.
Bowler
Anrich Nortje: Anrich Nortje will have fond memories of playing in the UAE, picking up wickets for fun for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021. His ability to hit the deck hard at a decent pace makes him a good asset to have in any fantasy team. Nortje should ideally pick up a wicket or two in this game.
South Africa Key Players : Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Anrich Nortje
Australia Key Players : Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Pat Cummins
Probable XI
South Africa
Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Tabraiz Shamsi
Australia
David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matt Wade (wk), Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins