ODI World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa Weather Report, Pitch Report and Match Preview

Defending champions England will take on South Africa in Match 20 of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, October 21. Both are among the main contenders to lift the coveted title, but reading this will have the two underdogs laughing in the corner. England and South Africa are the strongest batting units in this tournament but they failed to defeat Afghanistan and Netherlands, respectively. 

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Jos Buttler and Co. started with a defeat against New Zealand but won their second game massively against Bangladesh. However, got thrashed by the Afghans in their last game. On the other hand, Temba Bavuma's side registered two comprehensive wins against Sri Lanka and five-time champions Australia but lost to the Dutch. A win is crucial for both teams to get back on the winning track, so we can expect an exciting match at Wankhede. 

Pitch Report: 

Due to the flat and bouncy nature of the surface and the ground’s shorter boundaries, Wankhede Stadium is known for being batters-friendly. Going by history, we can expect a high-scoring thriller as two formidable batting units lock horns. Four out of the last five matches at this venue have been won by teams batting second. It wouldn't be surprising if Buttler and Bavuma join this trend as batting under lights becomes a bit easy here. 

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Weather Report: 

Cloudy conditions are expected on the ENG vs SA match day with a slight chance of rain. However, once the game starts, the skies will open up and sunny weather is expected, so rain is unlikely to spoil the game. The temperature could hover between 27 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels are anticipated to be around 61-75 per cent and a wind speed of 12-13 km/h is expected.  

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South Africa vs England Probable XIs:

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

England Probable XI: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Jos Buttler (C & WK), Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Reece Topley