Australia vs South Africa – Powerhouses Seeking Their First Title

Australia and South Africa dominated the Test rankings in the first 15 years of this century. Australia extended their dominance to the ODI arena as well, winning 3 of the 4 World Cups between 2003 and 2015. Neither team, though, has won the T20 World Cup, and the latest edition in the UAE in October-November 2021 offers them a chance to create history.

On the field, this has been one of the fiercest rivalries, between two teams traditionally famed for producing fearsome fast bowlers and hard-hitting batters. Back in 1999, the two teams played out one of the most famous limited-over matches of all time, the tie in the World Cup semi-final at Edgbaston. Both teams have struggled to scale such heights in recent seasons, but this Australia-South Africa cricket match – only their second meeting at the T20 World Cup – will play a big part in deciding which teams qualify from a group that also includes the might of the West Indies and England, the two finalists of the 2016 edition.

Super 12: Group 1 & Group 2

Group 1
Group 2

The Super 12 stage, which is the second round of the tournament, consists of 12 teams. The top 8 teams in the T20I Rankings are joined by the 4 qualifiers from Round 1. The top two from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

- England
- Australia
- South Africa
- West Indies
- Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh

- India
- Pakistan
- New Zealand
- Afghanistan
- Scotland
- Namibia

Australia vs South Africa Head to Head Stats

Australia enjoy a clear advantage over their rivals when you combine all formats, but the numbers are a lot closer (84-74 in 169 matches) when you consider the record after South Africa’s return from isolation. Australia won their only World T20 encounter easily in 2012.

Overall Stats

- Format
- Matches
- Australia Won
- South Africa Won
- Draw/Tie/NR
- Test
- 98
- 52
- 26
- 20
- ODI
- 103
- 48
- 51
- 4
- T20I
- 21
- 13
- 8
- 0
- Total
- 222
- 113
- 85
- 24

Australia vs South Africa in World Tournaments

- Format
- Matches
- Australia Won
- South Africa Won
- Draw/Tie/NR
- 50-over World Cup
- 6
- 3
- 2
- 1
- T20 World Cup
- 1
- 1
- 0
- 0
- Total
- 7
- 4
- 2
- 1

Australia and South Africa Squads for T20 World Cup 2021

Australia Full Squad

Aaron Finch (C), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (VC), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis (WK), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Traveling reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams

Traveling reserves:
Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams

South Africa Full Squad

Temba Bavuma (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Keshav Maharaj, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.

Traveling reserves: George Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lizaad Williams

Traveling reserves:
George Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lizaad Williams

Aaron Finch: Australia Captain

The quest to convert Finch into a Test opener never worked out, but in the limited-overs formats, Finch has been one of the finest players of the past decade. His century against England set the platform for their 2015 World Cup win, and except for a spell when Steve Smith was in charge, it’s Finch that has led the team in T20Is and ODIs. This is one trophy Australia have never won, and at the age of 34, Finch will know he won’t get many more chances to correct that anomaly.

Finch’s Batting Career Summary

- Format
- Matches
- Runs
- Highest Score
- Avg
- SR
- 50
- 100
- 4s
- 6s
- Test
- 5
- 278
- 62 vs Pakistan
- 27.80
- 44.98
- 2
- 0
- 30
- 1
- ODI
- 132
- 5232
- 153* vs Pakistan
- 41.85
- 88.42
- 29
- 17
- 518
- 126
- T20I
- 76
- 2473
- 172 vs Zimbabwe
- 37.46
- 150.24
- 15
- 2
- 248
- 107

Temba Bavuma: South Africa Captain

It’s only in recent seasons, since the international retirement of AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis’s stepping down from captaincy, that Bavuma has come into his own as a batter. For a long time, he was viewed only as a Test player. But when given chances in ODIs and T20Is, he has grabbed the opportunities with both hands. With transformation still such a touchy topic in South Africa, both his leadership and form will come under intense scrutiny in this T20 World Cup.

Temba’s Batting Career Summary

- Format
- Matches
- Runs
- Highest Score
- Avg
- SR
- 50
- 100
- 4s
- 6s
- Test
- 44
- 2097
- 102* vs England
- 32.26
- 47.70
- 15
- 1
- 259
- 4
- ODI
- 13
- 499
- 113 vs Ireland
- 49.90
- 87.85
- 2
- 1
- 42
- 4
- T20I
- 16
- 410
- 72 vs Ireland
- 27.33
- 126.93
- 1
- 0
- 37
- 10

Australia vs South Africa: Top Performers & Statistics in T20Is

Top Performers with the Bat in T20Is
Top Performers with the Ball in T20Is

Australia vs South Africa: Most Runs in T20Is
- - David Warner (Australia)
  - 457 runs
- - Jean-Paul Duminy (South Africa)
  - 378 runs
- - Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
  - 351 runs
- - Shane Watson (Australia)
  - 296 runs
Australia vs South Africa: Highest Scores in T20Is
- - Hashim Amla (South Africa)
  - 97* runs (2016)
- - Damien Martyn (Australia)
  - 96 runs (2006)
- - David Warner (Australia)
  - 89 runs (2009)
- - Graeme Smith (South Africa)
  - 89* runs (2006)

Australia vs South Africa: Most Wickets in T20Is
- - Pat Cummins (Australia)
  - 12 wickets
- - James Faulkner (Australia)
  - 10 wickets
- - Robin Peterson (South Africa)
  - 10 wickets
- - Ashton Agar (Australia)
  - 9 wickets
Australia vs South Africa: Best Bowling Figures in T20Is
- - Ashton Agar (Australia)
  - 5/24 (2020)
- - Ashton Agar (Australia)
  - 3/16 (2020)
- - Xavier Doherty (Australia)
  - 3/20 (2012)
- - David Wiese (South Africa)
  - 3/21 (2014)

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FAQs: Australia vs South Africa

What has been South Africa’s best performance in the T20 World Cup?

South Africa reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2014, eventually losing to Pakistan and India respectively.

How close have Australia come to winning the only trophy missing from their collection?

Australia reached the T20 World Cup final in 2010, eventually losing to England.

Why is the T20 World Cup 2021 happening in the UAE instead of India?

The T20 World Cup was moved from India to the UAE because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The decision was made after the second wave of the pandemic hit India.

Where to watch T20 World Cup 2021 matches?

You can watch the live telecast of all the T20 World Cup 2021 matches on the Star Sports channels on TV and on the Hotstar app on your laptop/mobile phone.

Which team’s defeat of Australia in the first T20 World Cup was one of the biggest upsets in the game’s history?

Zimbabwe beat a star-studded Australian team in 2007, just a few months after Australia had completed a hat-trick of 50-over World Cup wins.

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