New Delhi, February 23 – Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock analyzed India's loss in the Super 8 stage to the Proteas, stating that the co-host struggled to adapt to the conditions in Ahmedabad and failed to capitalize on the "new ball challenge with the seam movement."
South Africa ended India's 12-match unbeaten streak at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, defeating the defending champions by 76 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
After India dominated early, with Jasprit Bumrah producing a stellar opening spell of 2-7, the Proteas mounted a comeback through a 97-run partnership between David Miller and Dewald Brevis off 51 balls. A late charge from Tristan Stubbs, who smashed an unbeaten 44 off 24 balls, helped South Africa reach 180.
"India didn't adapt well to the conditions in Ahmedabad. South Africa had already played three matches here, so they knew what to expect. Yes, they struggled initially when they lost the wickets of Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, and Ryan Rickelton early, but they continued to adjust based on the conditions. It was only when Brevis and Miller batted together that things worked for them.
"Tristan Stubbs was able to use his batting skills effectively to help South Africa reach 187. India's chase would have been straightforward had they played cautiously in the beginning," Pollock said.
In response, India struggled in the first six overs and were in trouble at 31/3 after the powerplay. South Africa effectively contained India's explosive batting lineup, as the Men in Blue were dismissed for 111 in 18.5 overs.
"The first six overs were the toughest because the ball wasn't coming onto the bat nicely. Instead, they went after the bowlers from the very first over. You can't do that on this kind of a pitch while chasing a big total. They lost two early wickets and were immediately under pressure. Sometimes, you have to be smart and patient. India didn't change their approach. They didn't realize that the new ball would be the biggest challenge with the seam movement," he added.
The defending champions now need to win their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to stay in contention for the semi-finals, especially given their net run rate of -3.8.
