SA HOPE TO CATCH WORLD CUP BUG
Tie against champions India key to title shot
AS the SA squad warmed up for their training session on the vast outfield at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) yesterday, a magpie-lark near the middle of the ground alighted with attacking intent.
It veered at a flying insect that clearly knew how to stay out of trouble. As the bird zigged with its beak wide open, the bug zagged. When the bird zagged, the bug zigged. At the end of the merry dance, the gogga buzzed off in rude health.
The magpie-lark ’ s plumage is a striking swirl of black and white, not green and gold. The insect was nondescript – not at all a gleaming prize.
But watching the bird hunt the bug could not fail to inspire thoughts of SA ’ s long and convoluted quest for Word Cup glory.
AB de Villiers ’ s team will take a great leap forward in that cause if they beat India at the MCG on Sunday. If they lose, the leap will be backward.
The match will be only the second of both teams ’ campaign, and both won their first matches.
“Results are always important,” Russell Domingo admitted yesterday. “You ’ d rather come off a big win in front of a big crowd against a quality side like India than a loss.
“Although it ’ s still early in the tournament, a lot of positives can be taken out of a positive result or a good performance against a side like India in front of crowd that, I ’ ve heard, is sold out or just about sold out.”
That means as many as 100 024 people will be in cricket ’ s concrete colossus on Sunday. Almost all of them will support India with a level of passion few South Africans would believe is possible to raise about a mere game of cricket.
SA ’ s first priority will be to put their best XI on the field on Sunday, and the good news for them in that regard is that Dale Steyn trained yesterday after missing Wednesday ’ s session with what was either flu or sinusitis, depending on which team source you believe. Steyn will be vital to SA ’ s chances of success.