Three and a half hours of unexpectedly poor cricket has left India’s defence of their World Cup crown hanging by the slenderest of threads.
A Sunday night pregnant with promise began with India making all the right moves at the Narendra Modi Stadium, but even in the 20-over format, bossing just the first tenth of a match translates to nothing. South Africa showcased the clinical efficiency that has come to characterise their cricket in the last few years, while India were woefully sub-par with the ball, sloppy and undisciplined, while their batting unravelled spectacularly following yet another first-over setback.
India haven’t been this poor with the bat for a long time. The coaching staff, represented by Ryan ten Doeschate and Sitanshu Kotak, insisted after the 76-run annihilation that the batters had prepared assiduously for the off-pace tack that Lungi Ngidi in particular employed. But clearly, that preparation didn’t pay off. India’s innings went nowhere after Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and, now increasingly worryingly, Abhishek Sharma perished in the Powerplay. To be bowled out for 111 with seven deliveries left was a humbling thumping; if there was any intent to bat out the overs once victory was beyond them in order to reduce the margin of defeat and manage the net run rate, it was conspicuously invisible.
All told, it’s just one defeat, however debilitating, and India’s campaign is far from doomed. But their fate has now slipped out of their hands. They must defeat Zimbabwe and West Indies over the next six days and hope for South Africa, ironically, to help them out with an all-win record if they are to qualify for the semis. Hardly ideal.
It isn’t panic stations yet, but India must be smart and pragmatic instead of making the same mistakes and hoping for different outcomes. It’s incumbent upon Suryakumar Yadav and the coaching group to ensure the team isn’t too downcast after the battering, but it is also imperative for the batters to flex their muscles which are showing gradual, discouraging signs of atrophy. Perhaps, the point of no return is just the tonic to revitalise them.
Chepauk, which has thrown up the best batting tracks of the tournament so far, could be the ideal stage for the stuttering batting group to rediscover its mojo. Knee-jerk changes aren’t the way forward. India must keep the faith while impressing upon the batters the significance of playing the situation and the conditions without being gung-ho and one-dimensional.
76
India’s margin of defeat vs SA on Sunday — their biggest in T20 World Cups (by runs)
