On a scorching Sunday in Kolkata, the Eden Gardens turned into a furnace that proved too hot for South Africa to handle, despite already securing a spot in the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup.
The home team, India, arrived in the City of Joy, and by the end of the day, they had 70,000 fans inside the historic venue and millions across the nation grinning ear to ear after a commanding 243-run victory over the Proteas.
From the moment Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat, everything seemed to go according to plan for the Indian team. The “King” Virat Kohli, celebrating his 35th birthday, delivered a spectacular performance, scoring his 49th One-Day International century, putting him on par with his idol Sachin Tendulkar. This sensational century laid the foundation for India’s total of 326/6, with Kohli remaining unbeaten on 101 from 121 balls, including 10 boundaries.
During their 134-run partnership, Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (77 off 87 balls) could have possibly accelerated a bit more, but they had identified Keshav Maharaj as South Africa’s only real threat on a day that proved disappointing for the Proteas with the ball.
Regrettably, South Africa’s batting performance mirrored their struggles with the ball. Kohli’s century alone surpassed the entire Proteas batting unit’s collective effort on the day, a surprising outcome from a team that had posted the three highest scores in the tournament.
However, the Proteas looked like a different team when chasing a target. While India attacked during the opening Powerplay, South Africa appeared passive, allowing bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami to exploit their vulnerabilities with the new ball. Losing the in-form Quinton de Kock early, who fell to Siraj’s delivery, added to South Africa’s woes, and no one from the team seized the moment to mount a counterattack.
This passivity allowed left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja to increase the pressure further. Jadeja’s expertise in using the pitch to his advantage led to the dismissal of captain Temba Bavuma, who once again struggled against a left-arm spinner, raising concerns about his form as the playoffs approached.
Jadeja was the puppet master from then on, securing his maiden five-wicket haul at a World Cup. Mohammad Shami (2/18) also applied relentless pressure from the other end, demonstrating the need for a fuller length in Indian conditions. Leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (2/7) wrapped up the Proteas’ tail, swiftly ending the contest.
Despite the dismal performance, the only silver lining for the Proteas on this day was that the result had no bearing on their semi-final qualification, as both teams had already secured their spots. South Africa can only hope that young talents like Marco Jansen (1/94) can learn from the experience of playing against the hosts in such an electrifying atmosphere and return in better form when everything is at stake in the upcoming semi-finals in a fortnight.