India outclassed SA with approach and intent
LONDON: It was a perfect Sunday for Team India. We got things right from the start by winning the toss and electing to bowl. It was important to put South Africa under pressure. The manner in which India’s bowlers operated in the first 10 overs was the perfect example of how not to give away cheap runs.
It was a game in which the desire to win mattered a lot, and South Africa simply did not turn up. Their approach and intent wasn’t positive and that essentially played a very crucial role in the way they lost. SA needed to rise to the occasion and they just didn’t do that.
At the international level, the margin for error is minimal, and South Africa did not play the big moments well. Not only did their batting unit suffer a collective failure, they also made silly mistakes, thereby, allowing India to control the game.
You don’t see three run outs in an innings that often. Dismissing AB de Villiers and David Miller with their brilliant fielding, India enjoyed a huge boost in confidence. I did not expect South Africa, the world’s topranked ODI side, to choke yet again. I thought they had shed the choker tag, but I was wrong. I don’t understand why they fall short of expectations at the global tournaments year after year.
It was always going to be an easy chase for India, considering they had dismissed a world-class team for a paltry total of 191 runs. This was a very commendable feat and special credit must go to the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, who was just fantastic. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the spinners also chipped in when it mattered.
It was a fantastic bowling effort from India. The pacers did a great job by bowling dot balls in the first 10 overs. It surely must have made South Africa go on the back foot. That effort went a long way in helping India dominate South Africa on the day.
GETTING BETTER
Talking about the batting department, Shikhar Dhawan just keeps getting better with every outing in this tournament. You can expect the likes of Virat Kohli to come and keep things steady right till the end, especially when the team is chasing. Just like last Sunday, this was a 10-on-10 performance.
Kohli and de Villiers are teammates in the IPL, playing for RCB, but you can tell how apart they are right from the manner in which they approach games.
Kohli’s intent has always been so positive. It shows when he steps on to the field. On the other hand, you just don’t see that from de Villiers. This is where Kohli beats him. And such things do matter, even more so when you’re the captain of the side. The team catches on to such vibes and that’s what separates a winning team from the rest.
Despite the defeat, SA are still a very good, quality side. All they need to do is get together and believe in themselves. They need to change their approach like how England did after the 2015 World Cup. You can see how expressive their game has become since then.
South Africa need to come up with a plan and figure out why they don’t perform well in major tournaments. They are a quality side, but sadly they don’t play as well as India and the other big guns. That needs to change if they are to win anything major.