INDIA MASSACRED AT WANKHEDE
THREE TONS POWER PROTEAS TO SERIES WIN
MUMBAI: South Africa blasted away India in the series decider on Sunday, claiming the match by inflicting the hosts’ second biggest defeat in terms of runs (214). Setting a humongous target of 439 courtesy three blistering centuries South Africa cut India’s chase to 224. India had kept their worst for the last match, under-performing on every count to leave nothing positive to take from the match.
South Africa would have remembered how they had chased down the 438 set by Australia in 2006; but for that to happen the India top order had to produce a big century or two. However, the task got a little easier when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were gone by the eighth over. Both fell prey to the tendencies in a big run chase, high-risk shots and lapse in judgement.
Ajinkya Rahane kept the chase going and a timely fifty from Shikhar Dhawan was taking care of the boundaries. But it was beyond them to emulate AB de Villiers or Faf du Plessis. Suresh Raina came and went. Too much was left for MS Dhoni and the tailenders to do. By then India had stopped playing for the match, and were instead playing for the deliveries.
RAINING SIXES The extraordinary number of sixes South Africa batsmen slammed created the gulf between the sides which India never looked like bridging. South Africa played dazzling cricket in the city of entertainment. An innings replete with 20 sixes and 34 fours left the bowlers reeling.
South Africa batsmen indulged in an internal competition with Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers all rattling up centuries. It had been deduced from the first four matches that no team chased and won. South Africa’s luck with toss got them the first use of a belter the Wankhede Stadium pitch proved.
Hasim Amla got going with a few crisp cuts and drives but got carried away to nick to Dhoni. Quinton de Kock and du Plessis crafted a phase which proved calamitous for India. Quinton demonstrated his repertoire of shots while du Plessis was keen not to fritter away the start like on earlier occasions. When the pacers didn’t deliver, Dhoni hoped his ploy to play three spinners may work, but de Kock unsettled them with his counter attack. The smaller boundaries saved the pain of running singles and the fast outfield took the ball past the ropes regularly.
TAKING CHARGE With de Kock dismissed in the 28th over, de Villiers took charge. His century went waste in Chennai but he was determined to settle the matter in Mumbai. The game then turned into a six-hitting contest. Progressively, de Villiers and du Plessis decided to turn it into an exhibition match, and the Indian bowlers’ ineffectual show took away the gravitas of a contest.
Fielders were India’s best hope, but catches were dropped, at least two of them easy ones. du Plessis was dropped on 45 and 86 by Rahane and Mishra respectively, de Kock on 58 by Mohit Sharma. Later, Raina dropped Farhaan Behardien, but by then the damage was massive and match and series had South Africa written all over it.
Faf du Plessis coasted to three figures braving cramp, and at the end of his knock had enough energy left to smash three sixes and a four off Axar Patel’s over. He hit another six and four in the next over but the pain had become unbearable and he limped to the pavilion, retired hurt on 133. With a manic six-hitting spree, de Villiers raced to his 23rd century. And even before he got out, he knew he had the match in his grasp.