Proteas captain, Temba Bavuma, has acknowledged that they face challenges when they have to chase the game after their second defeat in this year’s Cricket World Cup.
India secured a commanding victory over South Africa, winning by a margin of 243 runs in the Cricket World Cup match held at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Sunday. India opted to bat first after winning the toss and posted a final total of 326 for five.
In response, the South African team struggled to put up a fight, managing only 83 runs before being bowled out in 27.1 overs. Despite this loss, South Africa still managed to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Their performance in the tournament has been notable, with six wins and two losses. Notably, five of their six victories were achieved when they batted first, while both of their defeats occurred when they had to chase a target.
Commenting on the match, Bavuma acknowledged the challenges they faced while chasing:
“We know the challenge and the narrative around us when we’re chasing. We didn’t do it justice here,” he said.
“When we discuss it as a batting group, we have to be honest. The first 10 overs with the ball made it a challenge. We did quite well after that.
“The biggest challenge was taking wickets, and India built significant partnerships.
“The conditions are the most significant learning. The wicket played as we expected it to play – we anticipated it would deteriorate, but we didn’t adapt well. It’s up to us to adapt our skills accordingly.”
South Africa’s last round-robin fixture will be against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on Friday.
The remaining two semi-final berths are being contested by Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.
