What was expected to be a heated and exhilarating game of cricket between two in-form teams in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, turned into a day of dismay as India crushed South Africa by 243 runs. The defeat has reignited concerns in the Proteas camp.
The Proteas demolition by the hosts on Sunday followed an embarrassing innings of 83 all out from 27.1 overs. It is SA’s lowest ever total against Indian at Kolkota’s Eden Gardens.
The Proteas, already-qualified for the semifinals, missed the chance to inflict first loss for India in the current tournament and overtake the hosts at the top of the table.
South Africa did not come to the party as they were outclassed in all aspects of the game. India captain Virat Kohli led SA’s demolition by smashing an unbeaten 101 runs off 121 balls and celebrated his 35th birthday in style.
Proteas captain Temba Bavuma, who has been the weakest link in SA’s star-studded batting line-up so far, admitted that his team did not step up to the plate and will have to do better heading into the semi-finals.
“We know the challenge and we know the narrative around us while chasing. We didn’t do it any justice today,” Bavuma said.
“When we talk about it as a batting group, we’ve got to be honest. The first 10 overs with the ball made it a challenge, and we did do quite well after that. But the biggest challenge was taking wickets and India built big stands.
“The conditions are the biggest learning [process]. The wicket played as we suspected it to play because we expected it to deteriorate, but we didn’t adapt well. It will be up to us to adapt our skills accordingly.”
Complacency felled SA to the Dutch
Early in the tournament, a seemingly complacent Proteas side were humiliated by Netherlands who defeated them by 38 runs.
That result was followed by good solid performances, which saw them win four games in a row, including thrashing nemesis England and New Zealand.
The Proteas will look to get back to winning ways when they take on Afghanistan in their final round-robin match in Ahmedabad on Friday.
