Match 37 of 48 at the 2023 Cricket World Cup will see the two powerhouse nations in the competition so far go head-to-head as India prepare to take on South Africa at Eden Garden on Sunday morning.
In this battle of the heavyweights, India will be out to preserve their 100% winning record in this competition and secure the top spot heading into the knockout stages, while South Africa will be looking to overtake them into pole position due to their superior net run rate.
Match preview
India have been outstanding in the tournament, displaying remarkable performances as a cohesive team with a clear determination to win the World Cup, which has seen them secure victory in each of their seven matches so far.
What has been most impressive is that the Men in Blue have rarely looked in difficulty up to this point, as they dominated the likes of Pakistan and Australia earlier in the competition before handing the defending world champions England a 100-run defeat at the end of last month.
While the Indian batsmen have predominantly been the centre of attention by posting big scores, the pacers have now also found top gear, exemplified in their most recent match, where they dismissed Sri Lanka for a mere 55 runs in midweek.
Mohammed Shami's addition has significantly bolstered the bowling attack, as he has already managed an impressive record of 14 wickets in three games at an average of 6.71 and an economy rate of 4.27.
These sides have a rich history of facing off in major tournaments, with India securing their first-ever knockout of South Africa in the 2015 World Cup, though the Proteas retaliated by winning four out of their last six ODI encounters.
Meanwhile, after coming into this competition under the radar, South Africa have arguably adapted to the conditions in the subcontinent better than the rest and are on the verge of guaranteeing their spot in the final four.
The Proteas have been ruthless in their performances and currently lead the World Cup 2023 with the highest number of scores exceeding 350, including the record for the highest total in a World Cup match of 438 against Sri Lanka.
In their last match, South Africa were too good for New Zealand, with Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock both scoring centuries in the match, while Keshav Maharaj claimed 4/46 in nine overs, which helped his side to a 190-run victory.
While the Proteas can still mathematically fail to reach the knockout stages, their net run rate is the best in the competition, and it will take an incredible collapse from them over their final two games to see them drop below the sides beneath them in the table.
Despite always carrying a threat, South Africa have never been able to put their best foot forward on the biggest stage of them all, and they will love nothing more than to get one over on the Men in Blue in this match, which many suggest could be a preview of the World Cup final.
Team News
India are still without the services of Hardik Pandya, who is still recovering from a ligament injury, though that will likely not be a major concern with Shreyas Iyer performing well in the middle order.
After a late start to the tournament, Shami has sprung into life in the last few games and is now ranked sixth in the leading wicket-takers standings with 14, just one behind fellow paceman Jasprit Bumrah.
South Africa are likely to remain unchanged for this match after their dominant display against New Zealand, though there is pressure building on the shoulders of Temba Bavuma, who is the only top-order batsman that has failed to deliver a big innings in this competition.
Lungi Ngidi was the only bowler who failed to take a wicket in the last match and is probably the only one who could drop out if the Proteas opt for changes, with Andile Phehlukwayo being the most likely to replace him.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams
Series so far
India
Match One: India won by 6 wickets
Australia - 199 (49.3)
India - 201/4 (41.2)
Match Two: India won by 8 wickets
Afghanistan - 272/8 (50)
India - 273/2 (35)
Match Three: India won by 7 wickets
Pakistan - 191 (42.5)
India - 192/3 (30.3)
Match Four: India won by 7 wickets
Bangladesh - 256/8 (50)
India - 261/3 (41.3)
Match Five: India won by 4 wickets
New Zealand - 273 (50)
India - 274/6 (48)
Match Six: India won by 100 runs
India - 229/9 (50)
England - 129 (34.5)
Match Seven: India won by 302 runs
India - 357/8 (50
Sri Lanka - 55 (19.2)
South Africa
Match One: South Africa won by 102 runs
South Africa - 428/5 (50)
Sri Lanka - 326 (44.5)
Match Two: South Africa won by 134 runs
South Africa - 321/6 (50)
Australia - 177 (40.5)
Match Three: South Africa lost by 38 runs
Netherlands - 245/8 (43)
South Africa - 201 (42.5/43)
Match Four: South Africa won by 229 runs
South Africa - 399/7 (50
England - 170 (22)
Match Five: South Africa won by 149 runs
South Africa - 382/5 (50)
Bangladesh - 233 (46.4)
Match Six: South Africa won by 1 wicket
Pakistan - 270 (46.4)
South Africa - 271/9 (47.2)
Match Seven: South Africa won by 190 runs
South Africa - 357/4 (50)
New Zealand - 167 (35.3)
We say: South Africa to win
This match has all the makings of a World Cup classic. India have been in sensational form so far but now face arguably their toughest opponent in the competition. With two formidable batting lineups on display, we could see huge scores posted in this match, and that is where the South Africans may just hold a slight edge as they have already posted three of the six highest scores in the tournament.
This should be a cracking match, and while the hosts are the clear favourites, we feel that the Proteas could pull off an against-the-odds victory in this one.
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