South Africa’s faces told the tale.
Words of disappointment were written everywhere, but there was no sign of disappointment anywhere. There were handshakes and hugs, but very few people swung by. The smile was sarcastic, but it was a smile nonetheless. There was a frown, but no tears. That was heartbreaking. How could it not have been possible for a retired legend to finish second in the group stage, break records, play in the best tournament of his life, and then fail again at the penultimate hurdle?
There will be 5 semi-finals and no final. It’s a ledger that hangs heavily on the Proteas. But before, the feeling was shock. It can be summed up in the words, “How on earth did we lose this?” Today’s question was “How on earth did I come close to winning this?”
Traveling to South Africa was not that stressful. They faced the situation and refused to be intimidated. They gave it their all and the result was a World Cup tradition. South Africa should not be accused of hiding it in the shadows.
This does not mean that there were no mistakes or mistakes. This pitching decision deserves close scrutiny, but in retrospect it looks like a misjudgment. However, it was speculated that Australia would also do so and that terms could be negotiated as South Africa were so favored as first opponents. No bowling and fielding performance could be as perfect as that of Australia, who finished first, and South Africa, who made the most of contrasting and difficult conditions in the second half of the match. The score of 24-4 felt almost on par with South Africa’s expectations, and the 212 that followed seemed like a distant dream.
There were also some near misses and questionable calls. Themba Bavuma relied too much on match-up theory early on, holding Keshav Maharaj down when Travis Head flew in, and when changing pitches, which hand the batsman would hold if the spinner was good enough. I forgot that it doesn’t matter. The southpaw needed the ball to clear the goal, but by then he had already made the decisive move in pursuit. Could he have pushed the bat harder? Should the voucher have been permanent? Where was South Africa’s champion bowler Kagiso Rabada?
Several field players experience their own personal what-if moments. Leeza Hendricks, who was absent because Bavuma wasn’t feeling well, took a shot to the head over the ropes. He retired quickly, but not before breaking three limits ahead of Gerald Coetzee. Quinton de Kock bowled two 50 per cent shots against the spinners, but it was also the best game of his life as a leader, rising to the occasion and admonishing his teammates, as he played his last ODI for his country. decided the match.
The spinners were exceptional and Keshav Maharaj was unbeatable. Tabraiz Shamsi’s only mistake was taking too many turns. When he reached the magic point to wipe out Glenn Maxwell, he took off. Often a cute, pre-arranged celebratory purveyor, the song is a primal, unfiltered sprint and howl that even his wrist-twisting predecessor Imran Tahir took a little too far. That’s what you thought.
But the lion-hearted Coetzee was the center of the story, soon managing nine overs and still clocking 150 km/h at the end, possessing the skill, intelligence and guts to pull off the perfect three-card trick. I was there. Goodbye by Josh Inglis. Bouncer, bouncer, yorker, see you soon. The pressure can cause the diamond to shatter or forge.
If anything, it was Australia who blinked, with Steve Smith hitting his worst shot and Maxwell following up one of the greatest innings of all time with something at the other end of the scale. A double start put them in front, but South Africa spent most of the match trying to recover.
Everything was about Bavuma. Many South African fans would not have picked this match and would have been looking for a four-ball duck in the first half. There were some questionable tactics, but there were also some inspirational shoutouts, such as Aiden Markram’s part-time turn that ended a brilliant first-ball opener. I was happy to let de Kock have his say, but it takes a humble captain to know when it’s someone else’s turn. But given what we know about the semi-final against South Africa, any off-script performance should have a positive impact on the captain. His side was torn and shattered, but he still managed to keep coming. South Africa left another impression on India, but also proved that their heart is as big as any other nation’s.
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