Australia will take on South Africa in the Group stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 today, October 12, 2023, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, India.

Both teams have had contrasting starts to the tournament so far. Australia lost their opening match to India by 6 wickets but bounced back to beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in their second match. South Africa, on the other hand, has won both of their matches so far, defeating Bangladesh by 104 runs and Sri Lanka by 102 runs.

Australia will be looking to continue their winning momentum and consolidate their position at the top of the table. South Africa, on the other hand, will be looking to maintain their unbeaten record and move closer to a place in the semi-finals.

Key players to watch out for:

• Australia: David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood
• South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi

Match prediction:

The match is expected to be a close one, with both teams evenly matched. Australia has a slight edge in terms of experience and quality, but South Africa is in good form and will be looking to upset the defending champions. The match will start at 1:30 Pakistan Standard Time.