What transpired yesterday at Lucknow was something unimaginable. Everyone was expecting a close contest between South Africa and Australia. Both are good sides with strong batting and good bowling attacks but no one would have expected that one of the bowling attacks would have an unforgettable day. It would not be an understatement to state that South Africa absolutely thrashed Australia in this encounter. They have returned to the top of the table with a healthy run-rate. In a lengthy tournament, run-rate is likely to come into the equation at some point in time. With a couple of significant wins, South Africa has placed themselves in a strong position. Australia on the otherhand, must not feel disheartened. Yes, the defeat was annihilating but they will have plenty of opportunities to get back into reckoning. South Africa on a roll.
Never in the history of the World Cup, be it T20 or ODI, have Australia looked so short of ideas. The body language of the players makes for depressing viewing. Several dropped catches, against India and against South Africa are unAustralian. If Mitchell Marsh’s catch was a dolly, Marcus Stoinis’s was even more so. Stoinis’s drop may not have changed the course of the game but Marsh’s could have. Afterall, Australia had India wobbling at 2/3 which could have been 12/4 with that catch. Perhaps, the bowlers are tired. They have been on the road for 12 months with a few of them appearing for their franchises too. If they are jaded, the players can only blame their board for arranging so many games. What were they doing in South Africa just ODIs just before the World Cup when the World Cup itself is held in the subcontinent?
Australian batting problem
Mitchell Marsh is promoted to open the innings to provide the start that modern ODI cricket demands. If 2 games so far, he hasn’t done that. His partner, David Warner, looks half of his former self. Gone are the days when Warner could rip apart fast bowlers at will in ODI cricket. Now, he is reduced to a slow-moving snail in the sense that he is unable to power the ball regularly to the boundary. Smith and Labuschagne aren’t hard hitters and because of that, Australia have a top order who are unable to provide the kind of start that the team needs. The slow nature of the pitch at Lucknow can be an excuse but not so much against India. There was absolutely no intent. India is often accused of the same but Australia seems to have been bitten by the same bug.
Former Australian players are quite critical of their side. Especially, Michael Clarke and Mark Taylor. They are here in India covering the games.
McDonald played a Test-quality dead bat. “I’ve got great trust in the people that we’ve got in the squad,” he said. “We’re focused on what we’ve got there. We’re not performing the way that we would like and we’re going to be critiqued around that and we should be critiqued. We’ve got to turn it around.”
The twin controversies
Steve Smith and Marcus Stoinis were both victims of technology. To the naked eye, Smith’s LBW delivery was seemingly going down the leg. The umpire declared it as not out but DRS overthrew the decision. Stoinis gloved a catch to Quinton but the hand was off the bat which means it was not out but umpire Kettleborough pressed the red button. 311 was a gettable target in this day and age but Australia were never in the reckoning with their dour batting. These dismissals added to that misery.
Moreover, Australia seems to have placed a lot of importance on all-rounders. I just cannot see how Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis are all part of the playing eleven. Australia would have been better off playing an additional batsman instead of Maxwell or Stoinis. The expected arrival of Travis Head will add power to the team but he will directly play in a game after a fracture. It will not be that easy. They are missing a genuine spinner. If not Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy would have been a welcome addition.
South Africa on a roll
Before the start of the tournament, South Africa would have been an afterthought. Their recent struggle in the subcontinent is a case in point. They lost in India and Pakistan and with an unsettled lineup, never so much as even in the reckoning. However, 2 thundering and dominating wins have increased their odds greatly. Quinton is in excellent form. He is allowed by CSA to play just in one format, ODI, and it looks like he is determined to make it count. Their bowlers are also in great form with Rabadda and Ngidi bowling at a brisk pace. Upwards of 140KMPH consistently will test every batsman in this World Cup.
South Africa has started excellently but this is a long tournament and they will come up against tougher opposition in India, England and Pakistan. Two of them have had recent success in the subcontinent. Will their batsmen and bowlers be able to perform? That is the challenge that they will have to encounter.
“We’re still a long way away but there are plenty of positives to take. It’s just about leaving this behind once we leave that behind and focus on the next game, that’s it,” Rabada said.
Wrapping up South Africa on a roll
South Africa will be pleased with what they have achieved so far. They have bumped off a strong Australian side nonchalantly which has almost guaranteed them a place in the final 4. They are expected to win against Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Netherlands which will take them within striking distance of the final 4. As for Australia, their tournament is not over though the path is riddled with thorns.
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