Most cricket fans perhaps miss the moments when the Proteas, having Jack Kallis, Shaun Pollock, and Graeme Smith, used to give stark competition to Steve Waugh-led Australia. Another South African legend, AB de Villiers, then came into the global cricket scene and defeated the Aussie side single-handedly in both the Test and ODI formats. This time, the new-age teams of both nations will face each other in the ongoing grand celebration of cricket.

On 12 October 2023, Australia will face the South African side in the 10th ODI of the ICC Cricket World Cup at the Ekana Sports Stadium. The Baggy Greens faced a backlash after losing the home series against India with a 2-1 score this September. On the other side, South Africa also faced criticism after their first-ever captain of colour, Temba Bavuma, fell asleep on the stage during the Captain’s Day event. It is now inevitable that both teams will try to deliver their best performances to ease the tension.

Australia vs South Africa Odds and Predictions

📝 Australia vs South Africa odds

Some of the best cricket betting sites are currently in favour of Australia, as they have the right balance of experienced players along with the required raw power of the youth brigade. On the contrary, the South African side is all about fresh blood, with players having little to no experience in the grand international circuit. So, it is no surprise that the odds are in favour of Australia. Following are the current odds:

10CRIC

Rajabets

LiliBet

🔮 Australia vs South Africa predictions

There is no doubt that Australia has one of the strongest squads of this World Cup, with cricketing legends like David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins on their side. They have also gained much-needed confidence after defeating the Netherlands and Pakistan in their warm-up games.

South Africa, on the other hand, is less experienced, with very few seasoned players like David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada. They lost their warm-up match against New Zealand, while another warm-up game against Afghanistan remained cancelled. However, it is also true that the young squad of Proteas have the courage and potential to change the colours of any match.

Surprisingly, when all cricket experts were vouching for the Baggy Caps during the Australia tour of South Africa, the Proteas displayed outstanding performance and snatched the ODI series with a 3-2 result. Although they lost the first two ODI matches, they registered an impressive comeback with three back-to-back wins to secure the series.

📊 Australia vs South Africa key stats

  • South Africa won 3 of their last 5 ODI matches (excluding the cancelled game against Afghanistan). On the other hand, Australia achieved just 2 victories in their previous 5. They also lost their home series against India last month.
  • Proteas are a bit ahead in terms of all-time stats, as they have achieved 54 victories in 108 total ODI matches against Australia till now. The Baggy Greens won 50 ODI matches while 3 remained tied and 1 with no result.
  • Australia and South Africa came face-to-face 6 times at the ICC World Cup stage till this edition. The Yellow Brigade won 3 matches, while the South African side won 2. A single World Cup ODI between these two teams registered no result.
  • In the last 5 ODI matches between Australia vs South Africa, the Bavuma-led side achieved 3 victories while the Aussies registered just 2. The Proteas also won their last ODI home series against the Australian side.
  • Ekana Sports Stadium has a batting-friendly pitch. With 54% humidity and 8 KM/hour wind speed that day, the pitch will dry up even more, creating better conditions for hard-hitting batters like David Warner and Glenn Maxwell.
2023 Cricket World Cup betting tips

Australia vs South Africa Betting Tips

Since the Australian side landed on Indian soil, they have delivered consistent performances in warm-up games and then on net practice matches. However, South Africa is always unpredictable, as they have previously created many records while defeating giants. So, if you want to capitalise on the best Cricket World Cup betting offers, put your stake in alternate markets that offer better predictability.

Australia to be the “Team with Top Batter” – 3.41 Odds (LiliBet)

Australia has an impressive batting lineup where their top-order players, Warner, Marsh, Smith and Labuschagne, can get some quick runs. The middle-order with Carey, Maxwell and Inglis can deliver the right support. At the tail end, even pinch hitters like Pat Cummins and Sean Abbott can also score some runs to cross the 350+ mark if they bat first.

Ex-Aussie skipper David Warner has an impressive track record against South Africa. He scored 1,213 runs in total (his highest against any team) in 28 ODI matches he ever played against Proteas. Warner has a batting average of 43.23 and scored 5 centuries and 5 half-centuries against them in the ODI format.

Another Aussie legend, Steve Smith, also has an excellent performance record against the South African side, as he already scored 684 runs in 19 matches against them. He recorded 2 tons and 4 half-tons with an outstanding strike rate of 89.29. Moreover, most Australian cricketers are accustomed to Indian pitches as they regularly play for the IPL sides. So, it is almost certain that they will try to achieve 350-380 runs in the first innings.

🏏 Pick Australia to be the “Team with Top Batter” at 3.19 odds with LiliBet 🏏

Australia to be the “Team with Top Bowler” – 3.69 Odds (Rajabets)

Australian pacers and spinners are now in great form, as they are constantly taking wickets against big teams throughout this season. The World has even seen batters like Warner and Smith come to bowl against the Pakistani side in their last warm-up match. So, it is quite predictable that the Kangaroos will keep on experimenting with their bowling combinations to create more trouble for their opponents in this World Cup.

Aussies were always known for their iconic pace attacks, which they will continue this year as well, with legendary pacers like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott on their side. Similarly, spinners like Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell are also expected to perform well, as they have delivered consistent performances since they landed in the subcontinental atmosphere.

If Australia bats first and forces Proteas to go on chasing runs in the second innings, Aussie pacers and spinners will try to take some quick wickets to decelerate the run chase. They will also have a bit of pitch advantage in the second innings, as cracks will open up in the hot and dry weather conditions.

🏏 Select Australia to be the “Team with Top Bowler” at 3.21 odds with Rajabets 🏏

Pat Cummins to be the “Best Bowler” – 4.23 Odds (Sportsbet.io)

Current Australian skipper Pat Cummins is widely dubbed as one of the greatest test bowlers who can constantly clock at 135-140 KM/hour. His performances in short formats are equally impressive, as he was a squad member of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2021 ICC T20 World Cup winning team. In their recent warm-up game against Pakistan, Cummins took 2 wickets while giving off just 34 runs.

He scored 75 ODI matches in the Australian jersey and took 124 wickets, with his best being 5/70. Cummins also has an outstanding record at the ICC World Cup, where he took 19 wickets in 9 World Cup matches, with his best being 3/33. He conceded just 507 runs as of this edition of the World Cup.

Cummins displayed an impressive performance against South Africa as well, especially in the test and ODI format. He played 11 ODI matches against the Proteas till now and achieved 16 wickets in total. The Aussie captain has an economy rate of 5.63 against South Africa, with his best being 3/28. So, it is no surprise that Cummins will lead the Australian bowling attack and will try to take early wickets to seal the victory.

🏏 Chose Pat Cummins to be the best bowler” at 4.11 with Sportsbet.io 🏏

📺 How to watch Australia vs South Africa at the 2023 Cricket World Cup?

  • Location: The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, India
  • Date and time: Thursday, 12 October 2023, 14:00 IST
  • How to watch: Enjoy the match live on Sportsbet.TV (a product of Sportsbet.io) and Pure Win. Indian cricket fans can also watch this World Cup match for free on the Start Sports TV channel.

Read our previous 2023 ICC World Cup previews:

India vs Afghanistan betting tips

India vs Afghanistan betting odds and predictions

pakistan sri lanka betting tips

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka betting odds and predictions

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About the Author:
ADRIAN BENN
Adrian Benn is a skilled content writer and a huge lover of cricket, who has a deep knowledge of the game. He has a remarkable talent for narrating the stories behind every cricket event, from the players to the matches. Adrian also enjoys reviewing sportsbooks in his spare time and tells readers exactly what they’ll find at each and every betting site in India. From a young age, Adrian has played cricket as a sport and still enjoys doing so on weekends. Needless to say, his writing style is both captivating and insightful, earning him praise from both cricket enthusiasts and experts. You can follow Adrian on Linkedin (@adrian-benn).