Resurgent India look to seal double
After clinching the ODIS, Kohli’s team is a win away from an unprecedented double strike vs Proteas
CENTURION: India have stood out in the limited-overs series, and while their batting and spin bowling have been discussed elaborately, they have stolen the show from South Africa in fielding and catching.
Leaving aside their slip catching in Tests, India have grown in stature as a fielding unit. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was alert enough to keep the ball in play while returning from beyond the boundary rope to take a catch, getting rid of Hashim Amla in the third one-dayer at Cape Town.
Jasprit Bumrah almost took a stunner at the boundary rope in the first T20, which India won comfortably at Johannesburg to go 1-0 in the series. Only his foot slightly touching the boundary rope as he tried to drop the ball inside the field resulted in a six.
Suresh Raina didn’t score many runs at No 3 on his comeback, but contributed on the field by taking three good catches.
However, while India, pushed by skipper Virat Kohli’s athleticism, have been a picture of commitment, South Africa have not kept up their usually high standards. There have been occasional streaks of brilliance like Aiden Markram defying gravity to get rid of Hardik Pandya in the third ODI, nothing consistent.
“The standard we set for ourselves, we know we have to take those opportunities. But the game of cricket is that when you are down and out there are certain things that don’t go your way, and those kind of things tend to pop up. It’s not lack of practice or motivation and determination to do well,” T20 skipper JP Duminy said after the loss at the Wanderers on Sunday. “Unfortunately, it just hasn’t gone our way and I can guarantee you the guys will be out there tomorrow and the next day trying to correct it,” he said.
On Tuesday, the eve of the second T20, which the Proteas must to win to keep the series alive going into the final game, the focus at training was on catching.
Eight to nine players were spread close to the boundary as they were given high catches. The drill went on for close to an hour.
The Proteas, considered some of the most athletic and acrobatic in the game, have been inconsistent in their catching. Farhaan Behardien twice dropped easy catches at the boundary in the first T20 while Rohit Sharma got a life during his century in the Port Elizabeth ODI.
Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, who dropped that sitter from Rohit, and Khaya Zondo are the others to offer lives to India batsmen. Andile Phehlukwayo has let a few balls go past him to the boundary.
South Africa pacer, Junior Dala, who made his debut on Sunday, denied the fielding standard has dipped. “Fielding is a personal pride thing. The coaches can only give us the tools. How you handle the pressure on the day is what matters. I don’t thing we emphasised much on the fielding. Basically, it was a fun drill. From the outside, it looked like we are focusing on outfield, but it was more a fun drill. Our fielding is in a good place.”
The Indians, on their part, had no worries. They chose to stay in their rooms.