AHMEDABAD, INDIA: India imploded in spectacular fashion to lose by 76 runs to South Africa in their maiden Super 8 match of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 22. Much like they had done two and a half years ago at this venue in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, India’s batters put up a sorry showing, unravelling quickly while chasing a par target of 188 set by the South Africans.
The Proteas, opting to bat first, were reduced to 20-3 by Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah inside four overs before the partnership of a senior-junior duo (David Miller and Dewald Brevis) rescued them towards some respectability.
The former scored 63 off 35 balls with the help of seven boundaries and three sixes, while the younger man got out five runs short of 50, taking a mere 29 balls and using three boundaries and as many sixes for his purpose. Lower-order batter Tristan Stubbs provided a much-needed late assault with a 24-ball unbeaten 44, helping South Africa reach the total of 187-7 in 20 overs.
Bumrah was the Men in Blue’s most successful bowler with figures of 3-15. India got off to the worst possible start when they lost in-form opener Ishan Kishan off the fourth ball for a duck, caught by Ryan Rickelton off skipper Aiden Markram, who chose to open the bowling with his timid-looking off-breaks. Tilak Varma (1) went back to the pavilion the next over, caught behind off left-arm seamer Marco Jansen.
India’s batters failed to adapt to the slowish nature of the pitch against South Africa
Abhishek Sharma (15) finally scored his first runs of the tournament, but lost his composure after having played too many dot balls, and skied a slower delivery from Jansen high up in the air, wide of mid on. Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj jostled for the high catch before the former held on to it, not without entangling the latter in his bulky frame.
Bosch was soon brought into the attack by Markram, and in just his second over (after having Washington Sundar caught behind for 11), managed to lure Suryakumar Yadav (18) to play a false ramp shot, inducing an edge off the bottom of his bat to Brevis at midwicket. India seemed to be staring down the barrel when Hardik Pandya joined Shivam Dube at the crease.
The latter (42) hung on till the end, providing the sold-out Motera crowd with glimpses of his potential, but with Pandya (18) gone trying to slog Maharaj over long off, and slogger Rinku Singh (0) disappearing similarly, India’s chances disappeared. This win takes South Africa to the top of Group 1 of the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup, leaving India languishing at the bottom with no points at all.
This defeat will largely be seen as the Indian batters’ inability to adapt to the slowish nature of the pitch. The one-track character of India’s batting unit rendered them useless on a surface where application, timing and getting into good positions were needed, especially against South Africa’s seamers, who took the pace off the ball and consistently altered their lengths.
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