Result: IND 133/9; SA 137/5 | South Africa won by 5 wickets
Rohit Sharma explains how India lost the plot: “We expected that the pitch will have something in it. We knew that there’ll be a lot of help for the seamers, that’s why it wasn’t an easy target to chase. We fell a little short with the bat. We fought well, but South Africa were better today. When you see that score, you’ll always think you’re in the game. That was a match-winning partnership from Markram and Miller. We were a little poor on the field, we gave so many chances in the field and we weren’t clinical. We were just not good enough. The last two games, we were pretty good in the field. We couldn’t hold our chances, we missed a few run-outs. We need to keep our heads high and take a learning from this game. We have played in such conditions so conditions are not an excuse. We want to be consistent in that department. We could not hold on to our chances, we misses a few run-outs including myself.”
Temba Bavuma on South Africa’s chase: At the 10-over mark the discussion was to try and up the intent. When you do that, that’s when opportunities come your way. Fortunately things did go our way and we were able to get that momentum. Our batting line-up is in good form barring myself. It’s a batting unit that’s been together for a while. To come through in pressure moments will boost the guys’ confidence. We watched the games that were being played here and decided on the lengths. The variable bounce assisted us. We backed our execution, fortunately it came off for us. We don’t like that tag (favourites), we’ve come into the tournament as not the favourites. We’ll keep flying under the radar. It’s important we keep improving and that’s exactly what we are doing.
Lungi Ngidi, Player of the Match: “It was very nerve-wracking. When games get so close, you cannot do much as a bowler but just sit. It is one of my biggest wins - to win an award at the World Cup. It comes down to watching a lot of games being played here. We have also played here earlier. We saw Pakistan bowl and it helped. Just after the ten-over break, Markram moved the game forward and Miller followed him.”
South Africa beats India by 5 wickets: David Miller and Aiden Markram hit brilliant half-centuries as South Africa beat India by five wickets to go top of the table. Chasing a paltry score of 134 runs to win, India started well with Arshdeep picking a couple of wickets and Mohammed Shami packing off Temba Bavuma. But Miller and Markram saw through a tricky period of play, and forged a match-winning 76-run partnership to take the game away from India. The fielding was sloppy from India as there were drop catches and run-out chances missed on a chilly night. Markram and Miller capitalised on the start and then launched the attack on India after the drinks break by going over the top and targeting Ashwin. Although Markram was bounced out by Hardik Pandya, Miller finished the job to hand India its first defeat of the tournament. Suryakumar Yadav produced his most accomplished knock in extremely adverse conditions but India only managed a sub-par 133 for 9 after South African pacers exposed the top-order’s inadequacies against pace and bounce .
Miller key in tense chase: David Miller holds key as South Africa needs 25 runs in 18 balls and India needs to pick wickets to take the game till the last over. Ashwin will finish his quota as both Arshdeep and Hardik have finished their job and Rohit Sharma has taken a big gamble.
Hardik bounces out Markram: Hardik Pandya strikes and finally India has managed to pack off Aiden Markram but he has done the damage with a 41-ball 52. In a pressure match, Markram played according to the situation and to the merit of the ball but credit to Hardik but sticking to his strength and inviting the batsman to go for the pull shot. Markram goes for the pull but hits it straight down the throat of Suryakumar Yadav and India will believe a couple of more wickets could really turn the tide in their favour.
Markram hits fifty, Karthik walks out: What a knock Aiden Markram has produced under pressure and the last overs have produced 55 runs and things have moved in south Africa’s direction with Markram leading the charge with an excellent half-century. Riding on the luck provided by the Indians, Markram took full advantage and after seeing off the attack, forged a partnership with Miller and almost tilted the match in South Africa’s favour. Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik has walked off the field and in walks Rishabh Pant as the substitute wicket-keeper.
Markram punishes India: Aiden Markram is rising his luck and has punished India for handing him just not one but two lives. Ashwin leaks 17 runs after Rohit Sharma missed a simple chance to run out Markram and India seem to have succumbed under the pressure of not getting the breakthrough. Ashwin tosses one up and Miller hammers him over long-off and then Markram drills the off-spinner over the long-on for a huge maximum as Suryakumar Yadav could only stand and watch the ball sail into the crowd. The game shifting in South Africa’s way.
Kohli puts down a sitter: Oh dear! was that the game? Ashwin cannot believe and so does the Indian team as Virat Kohli has handed Markram a golden life and has put down a simple catch at deep mid-wicket. Markram takes on the longer boundary and pulls Ashwin but hits it straight to Kohli and the former India captain, one of the best fielders in the circuit fumbles. Rohit Sharma and the whole of India in agony.
India aims to break stand: Miller and Markram have decided to attack and they loot 16 runs from Hardik Pandya’s third over as South Africa makes a move on. Ashwin is operating from the other end and with the run rate creeping, South Africa will target one of the bowlers. India still has one foot in the game but they need wickets as the two batsmen are superstars in the T20 format and can quickly snatch the game away from India.
Markram, Miller resist India’s attack: Interesting passage of play as Aiden Markram and David Miller are working the ball around with Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya steaming in, threatening to break the stand. Shami almost had Miller trapped, India went for a review but there was an inside edge that saved Miller. While Bhuvneshwar, ARshdeep and Shami have bowled full, Hardik is hitting the back of a length, extracting bounce and troubling the batsmen with pace. The required rate is slowly climbing, touching exactly 9rpo with the current standing at 3.89rpo. India needs wickets to stay in the game as spin will come into play at some stage and South Africa will cut loose.
Shami ends Bavuma’s stay: The Indian fast bowlers are posing some serious questions and Mohammed Shami enters the scene and straightaway removes Temba Bavuma, courtesy an excellent diving catch by Dinesh Karthik and the men in blue are staging a superb fightback defending a small total. While Arshdeep and Shami have picked wickets, Bhuvneshwar has played his role to perfection by swinging the ball both ways and extracting movement off the pitch. There is an interesting field setting for Markram with Rohit Sharma going with a packed off-side and despite the end of PowerPlay there is a fielder just hovering inside the circle and it clearly shows the attacking intent from the Indians. In the last five overs, India has given just 23 runs and has picked three wickets with Bhuvneshwar bowling an excellent first spell of 3/12. It’s Shami along with Hardik Pandya in operation.
Arshdeep double strike dents South Africa: WOW! It’s a Rohit Sharma special and what a DRS call the Indian captain has taken and Arshdeep strikes twice in his opening over to give India a perfect start. The pacer picked a wicket in his very first ball with a peach of an outswinger, forcing de Kock to go for a drive only to induce a thick outside edge and KL Rahul pouches it cleanly at first slip. Arshdeep then trapped Rossouw, South Africa’s in-form batsman but the wicket belongs to Rohit. Arshdeep didn’t urge for a review but Rohit in consultation with Dinesh Karthik went for a review and it was a successful one. The inswinger beats Rossouw’s drive and ball tracking showed the ball was crashing middle pole. Two down and India is right back in the game.
Bhuvneshwar starts India’s proceedings: There is plenty of bounce and pace on offer and we need to wait and see how much can the Indian bowlers extract from the surface. These are not tall fast bowlers who can hit the hard lengths as Bhuvneshwar relies on swing and Arshdeep can surprise the batsmen with his short of length deliveries. But on this Perth wicket, Mohammed Shami will be key as he has the ability to consistently hit the back of a length and use the seam to good effect.
Suryakumar the Showstopper: This has to be one of the best knocks by Suryakumar Yadav as he scored a brilliant 40-ball 68 to give the Indian bowlers something to defend as the rest collapsed around him. It was an exceptional bowling performance from the South African paces with Lungi Ngidi taking a four-wicket haul and Wayne Parnell taking three wickets. But despite the pressure and the likes of Kohli, Rohit and Hardik failing to fire, Suryakumar took the responsibility of holding the innings together as well as keeping an eye on the run rate. The partnership with Karthik was vital and again it was Surya, who was the accelerator. He is in prime form and can do absolutely no wrong and irrespective of the result, this knock in cold, testing conditions in Perth will certainly go down as one of the best T20I knocks by the Indian middle-order batsman.
Karthik falls, Surya holds key: Wayne Parnell comes back to break the partnership and Dinesh Karthik’s scratchy little stay at the crease comes to an end. R Ashwin joins Suryakumar and the latter will be the key to India’s late surge. Anything around 140 will give the Indian bowlers a total to defend but for that Surya has to take some calculated risks and up the ante with Ashwin rotating the strike.
Surya Sizzles, Slams Half-century: Top knock from Suryakumar Yadav and what a time to bring an excellent half-century off 31 balls. The middle-order batsman took control of the situation, arrested further slide and along with Dinesh Karthik has pulled India out of the hole. With three boundaries as many maximums, Surya and Karthik have stitched an important 53-run stand off 39 balls with the former being the biggest contributor. In the last five overs, 41 runs have come and most importantly, India hasn’t lost a wicket. Karthik is happy playing the second fiddle, and Surya has managed to keep the scorecard ticking and has taken the attack to the opposition. His pick of the shot was when Surya got inside the line of Ngidi’s back of length delivery and used the pace of the bowler to dispatch the white ball over the fine-leg boundary.
Ngidi thunderbolts rock India: 3-0-17-4 and that sums up the hostile fast bowling from Lungi Ngidi as South Africa has pinned India on the Perth surface with extreme pace and bounce. In chilly conditions, Ngidi and Anrich Nortje combined pace, movement and precision to bounce out the Indian top-order and even the in-form Kohli fell into the trap. Ngidi picked three wickets by hitting the back of length spot as the ball kicked off the surface unsettling the Indians and one by hitting the good length area. India beefed up their batting by including Deepak Hooda but the middle-order batsman fell for a duck as he walked out in cold and testing conditions with Nortje inducing an outside edge. South Africa has been relentless with their attack but credit to Kagiso Rabad for pouching two excellent catches - Kohli and Hardik - to give South Africa control. Dinesh Karthik is in the middle along with SUryakumar Yadav and with spin coming into play, India will look to keep the scorecard moving. The stadium is new but the pitch reminds one of the old Perth where the bounce is steep and the Indians have faced some chin music, with South Africa dictating terms in the first half. Over to the pair of Surya and Karthik.
Ngidi knocks out India top-order: This is sensational bowling from Lungi Ngidi and he has silenced the Perth crowd this time the pacer has bounced out Virat Kohli and with that, he has snapped a three-wicket haul in two overs giving just 13 runs. The short ball doing the trick for South Africa and Ngidi is breathing fire as he has dismantled the Indian top order. Kohli went for the pull and could only manage a top edge as Kagiso Rabada covers a large part of the boundary and takes an excellent running catch at long leg to put India in trouble. South Africa on top.
Rohit, Rahul fall inside PowerPlay: Lungi Ngidi strikes and he packs off the Indian openers inside the PowerPlay. He first gets the Indian captain by extracting some extra bounce and then Rahul, whose torrid time in the World Cup continues. Rohit went for a pull but the back of length delivery got big on Rohit and the batsman hurried onto the shot as Ngidi swallowed an easy caught and bowled. On cold conditions where the ball is moving with some serious amount of pace and bounce, Rahul guides another back of length delivery straight to Markram who was stationed at the slips. India in trouble with the South African fast bowlers breathing fire. Virat Kohli is joined by Suryakumar Yadav.
Rohit, Rahul kickoff Proceedings: Rohit and the pull are synonymous and what a way to get off the mark after KL Rahul played out a maiden as India start on a cautious note. Rabada digs in short and Rohit pulls, using the pace of the bowler as the ball sails over the long leg boundary for a maximum. A hint of swing for Wayne Parnell but KL Rahul attacks and he too gets off the mark with a maximum over the mid-wicket region. The lights are on and India is up and running after winning the toss.
Right then we are done and dusted with the respective National Anthems and it’s time for some action in the cold Perth weather.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh
South Africa Playing XI: Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje
Rohit Sharmaafter winning the Toss: We will bat. It's a good surface, we know what to expect and what to do on this pitch. We had a camp across at the WACA, helped us get used to the bounce for both batters and the bowlers. But this is an important game from where the tournament is, we just have to follow the routine and trust the process, just stay calm and execute the plans. One change - Axar misses out, Hooda is in.
Temba Bavumaat the Toss- Big game for us, have had a good start to the tournament, it;'s a big opportunity to test our skills against a strong Indian team. We would have probably batted as well, could be slightly tough to bat under lights, but we now need to bowl well and restrict them to a low score. The conditions are similar to what we have at home and it's a surface which our pacers can exploit. One change - Shamsi misses out, Ngidi comes in
Team India in the House: Virat Kohli is going through his batting drills and Team India is looking sharp in their warm-up. The conditions are very different with the cold wind blowing and we might expect some changes in the Indian Playing XI.
Suryakumar Yadav speaks about his partnership with Virat Kohli and here’s what the India middle-order batsman had to say about King Kohli while speaking to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Comments
SHARE