Australia has qualified for the World Cup semi-finals despite their imbalanced squad and a 0-2 start to the tournament. The task now is to reverse their defeats to South Africa and India, assuming those teams account for New Zealand in their semi.
In the first four matches, an injured Travis Head was carried and the core group of players grinded it out. Alex Carey played only one match and Sean Abbott just got one run, while the struggling Mitchell Starc was given a rest.
For the semi-final against South Africa, the selectors have 13 options for the final XI but have to decide whether to carry an extra specialist batter in Marnus Labuschagne or roll with Marcus Stoinis or Cameron Green as a seam-bowling all-rounder.
Steve Smith is in good form and likely to bat at four, with Head, David Warner, and Mitchell Marsh in the top order. Stoinis does not seem likely to be selected, as the team already has enough bowling options.
Australia was let down by their batting in their defeat to South Africa, with Labuschagne’s 46 being the only good contribution after the first three wickets fell early. Labuschagne’s recent performance against South Africa makes him a strong option for the semi-final.
Australia’s bowling, led by Adam Zampa, has been strong, and the team is now focusing on improving the performances of Mitchell Starc and captain Pat Cummins.
Marsh, despite being rusty in a recent match, is fully fit, and Head, despite not picking up wickets, has been effective with his part-time bowling.
In conclusion, the Australian team has many options leading to their semi-final, and they will need to carefully consider their lineup to secure a win in the next match.