SA vs Aus: Nail-biting second semifinal of ICC ODI World Cup sets up Ind vs Aus final
Kolkata, Nov 16: Australia overcame a spirited challenge from South Africa by three wickets in the second semifinal of the World Cup here on Thursday to set up a title clash with hosts India.
The final will be played on Sunday at Ahmedabad. David Miller struck a 116-ball 101 and lifted South Africa to 212 all out after his team had lost four early wickets.
In reply, Australia stuttered before completing the chase of 213 with 16 balls to spare as South Africa choked yet again on the big stage.
Travis Head blazed away to 62 off 48 balls while David Warner smashed 29 off 18 in an opening stand of 60 to lay the foundation for Australia's chase.
Earlier, Miller hit eight fours and five sixes during his rescue act, and brought up his century with a maximum over deep midwicket off Australian captain Pat Cummins.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, South Africa were off to a disastrous start losing both their openers Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma with just eight runs on the board in the sixth over.
Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram too didn't last long, leaving South Africa precariously placed at 24/4 in the 12th over.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were the wreckers in chief early into South Africa's innings.
A partnership of 95 runs between Miller and Heinrich Klaasen (47 off 48 balls) steadied the ship before Australia struck again to remove the latter through Travis Head.
Brief score:
South Africa: 212 all out in 49.4 overs (David Miller 101, Heinrich Klaasen 47; Pat Cummins 3/51, Mitchell Starc 3/34, Josh Hazlewood 2/12).
Australia: 215/7 in 47.2 overs (Travis Head 62; Tabraiz Shamsi 2/42, Gerald Coetzee 2/47, Keshav Maharaj 1/24).
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Interoceanic Train derails in southern Mexico, killing at least 13 and injuring dozens
Mexico City (AP): Officials said a train accident in southern Mexico killed at least 13 people and injured dozens, halting traffic along a rail line connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico.
The Interoceanic Train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz went off the rails Sunday as it passed a curve near the town of Nizanda.
“The Mexican Navy has informed me that, tragically, 13 people died in the Interoceanic Train accident,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum posted on X, adding that 98 people are injured, five of them seriously.
She said she instructed the secretary of the navy and the undersecretary of human rights of the Ministry of the Interior to travel to the site and personally assist the families.
In a message on X Sunday, Oaxaca state Gov. Salomon Jara said several government agencies had reached the site of the accident to assist the injured.
Officials said that 241 passengers and nine crew members were on the train when the accident occurred.
The Interoceanic Train was inaugurated in 2023 by then President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The rail service is part of a broader push to boost train travel in southern Mexico, and develop infrastructure along the isthmus of Tehuantepec, a narrow stretch of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Mexican government plans to turn the isthmus into a strategic corridor for international trade, with ports and rail lines that can connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Interoceanic train currently runs from the port of Salina Cruz on the Pacific Ocean to Coatzacoalcos, covering a distance of approximately 180 miles (290 kilometers) .
