The Australians were given a harsh lesson by the hosts, India, as they faced a six-wicket loss in Chennai.However, their woes continued as they found themselves overwhelmed by South Africa in a clash held at a different venue.
Scorecard: Australia vs South Africa
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Cummins remarked, “If we want to be challenging for this tournament, you’ve got to adapt to all conditions. Not much needs to be said tonight, everyone’s hurting. Got a few days until the next one here, so we’ll try to make amends. A few things to tidy up.”
In the match against South Africa, the Proteas were asked to bat first and posted a competitive total of 311 for seven in their allotted 50 overs. Quinton de Kock’s century and Aiden Markram‘s quick 56 played pivotal roles in setting the target.
In response, Australia struggled and was eventually bowled out for 177 in 40.5 overs, with Kagiso Rabada taking three crucial wickets for 33 runs.
Cummins acknowledged South Africa’s formidable performance, saying, “Quinny (De Kock) batted really well, from where they were we were happy with 310, we felt it was chaseable. It looked like hard work out there at night, zipped around now, but we were well off the mark.”
On the other side, South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, was pleased with his team’s near-perfect performance. He praised his side’s batting effort, asserting that they were over-par, and commended the clinical work of the bowling unit.
Bavuma stated, “I’d be really greedy if I said there were areas to improve, a near-perfect game with the bat, and with the ball, looking at all the phases, the guys dominated and showed their skills.”
Quinton de Kock, who was named the Player of the Match for his outstanding contributions, emphasised the importance of assessing the conditions and playing to their strengths. He also urged his team not to get complacent despite their bright start to the tournament.
“A great win for the boys, assessed conditions well, played accordingly, stuck to our strengths and came out on top,” De Kock remarked. He added, “We are pretty pleased with ourselves, but only two games in, anything can happen, and quickly, won’t get too high, just take it game by game.”
Australia are set to face Sri Lanka in Lucknow on October 16, while South Africa will meet the Netherlands in Dharamsala the following day.
(With inputs from PTI)