This time around, while the Proteas have steamrolled teams batting first, their nerve-wracking one-wicket win against Pakistan on Friday might give the impression that they have outgrown the choker’s tag. But have they really?
Let’s go back to the Friday thriller. There were instances when South Africa needed about 130 runs in 25 overs when Aiden Markram tried to slog leggie Usama Mir and a couple of edges fell in no-man’s land. The vice-captain buckled down and played brilliantly and then as South Africa needed 21 off 10, he committed the mistake of repeating the shot to gift his wicket away. That opened the door for Pakistan and the famous South Africa choke was just round the corner. It was Proteas’ luck that No. 11 Tabraiz Shamsi wasn’t given leg-before which somehow helped them cross the finishing line against a Pakistan running on reserve.
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While the relief was palpable, there was also the sense of concern in the South African ranks that nothing much has changed.
Captain Temba Bavuma conceded South Africa had luck on their side. “I do think we could have shown up a lot more of a clinical display in going about that run chase. We did have luck on our side, but we gave them opportunities to get into the game,” Bavuma was brutally honest about a botched-up chase that finally resulted in the win.
Let’s not forget that this was coming after another terrible chase against The Netherlands, who have won their only game of the tournament against the South Africans.
A closer look at the South African approach will suggest that there is a reluctance among their middle-order batters to bide time when things start to get difficult in the middle-overs. It’s probably not a problem in conditions prevalent in South Africa and Australia, where the ball doesn’t stop and turn and batters can hit through the line. But in India, skilful spinners come into play on helpful tracks and the top gear batting in middle-overs doesn’t always win matches. It needs the ability to rotate the strike and look for singles and twos, a skill that superb South African hitters in the middle-order sometimes lack.
“But at the end of the day, the guys who were in there, Keshav Maharaj and Shamsi, they did it for us. It’s easier for us to have conversations now with regards to our run chase…Batting first, we have a blueprint but I can’t say with conviction we have the blueprint while chasing. We obviously want to show a more clinical display with the bat,” Bavuma added.
They need to do it fast because up next for the Proteas are New Zealand and India-two massive contenders for the title.