South Africa vs Bangladesh Prediction: South Africa are coming off an astounding win over England after losing against the Netherlands

South Africa and Bangladesh are going head to head in the 23rd game of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai City, India on 24 October. South Africa are coming off an astounding win over England after losing against the Netherlands. Who will win this game?

South Africa faced the challenging task of recovering from their loss to the Netherlands, which they managed to do in their match against England. Their performance against the reigning Cricket World Cup champions was largely convincing. However, they must avoid another setback when facing Bangladesh.

In their game against England, South Africa was without their captain, Temba Bavuma. It is likely that he will make his return and replace opener Reeza Hendricks in the lineup. Batsman Heinrich Klaasen, who has been in exceptional form this season, will take confidence from his impressive century against England.

The Proteas are keen to enhance their death bowling performance, but they continue to be without the injured Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala. South Africa allowed England to score 70 runs for the ninth wicket, and they cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes against Bangladesh.

A victory in this match would position South Africa to compete with India, New Zealand, and Australia for an early spot in the tournament's semi-finals stage. Nevertheless, they face a formidable Bangladesh team that is no longer considered an underdog in major tournaments, particularly in sub-continental conditions.

Quinton de Kock (WK), Temba Bavuma (C), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee

Bangladesh kicked off their 2023 Cricket World Cup campaign with a promising win against Afghanistan, but they subsequently suffered defeats against England, New Zealand, and India. While a fourth consecutive loss won't necessarily eliminate them from contention for a semi-final spot, it would have significant implications for the remainder of their tournament.

In terms of batting, Bangladesh will heavily rely on wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim and opener Liton Das to make substantial contributions. Rahim and Das have collectively scored over 300 runs in the tournament and, in the absence of the experienced Tamim Iqbal, their performances are of utmost importance for the Tigers.

Bangladesh boasts three bowlers with five wickets each at this year's Cricket World Cup. Spinners Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan, along with seamer Shoriful Islam, have delivered commendable individual performances. However, the key for Bangladesh's success lies in their ability to perform as a cohesive bowling unit, which will be essential in challenging South Africa.

The Tigers can draw motivation from their ODI history against South Africa, especially at Cricket World Cups. Additionally, they are well aware of the Proteas' inconsistent performances, as evident from their win against England followed by possible shortcomings against Bangladesh.

Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto , Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib al Hasan (C), Mushfiqur Rahim (WK), Mahmudullah, Nasum Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam

In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, the captain winning the toss has chosen to field first in 15 out of the first 21 matches. It's highly likely that the toss-winning team for this game will follow suit and elect to field first.

South Africa boasts a strong record in ODIs against Bangladesh, winning nearly 80% of their matches when chasing. However, they also recently defeated England at the same venue by batting first. This encounter will be the second of five matches scheduled at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for this tournament. The pitch is expected to be relatively fresh and conducive to high-scoring.

Historically, the average score in the last five ODIs at this ground has been 269, making it a ground that doesn't always yield high totals. Nonetheless, South Africa managed to post 399 runs here not too long ago.

Given the conditions, it would make sense for both teams to consider playing two specialist spinners, a strategy Bangladesh is likely to adopt. South Africa might contemplate the return of Tabraiz Shamsi to the lineup but may opt to stick with the same winning XI.

The weather forecast indicates no rain in the days leading up to the match or on the matchday itself, ensuring an uninterrupted contest. The high temperatures and humidity typical of Mumbai and India overall are expected.

Despite their historical ODI record against Bangladesh, particularly in Cricket World Cups, South Africa is poised to win this match, bolstered by their recent comprehensive victory over England at the same venue. Bangladesh's spinners are undoubtedly potent, but they will face a stern test against the in-form South African batting lineup.