New Delhi, March 1 Sikandar Raza single-handedly kept Zimbabwe in the game with a special all-round performance, while a shaky South Africa managed to steady the ship for a five-wicket win in their final Super Eights game of the T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
After opting to bat, Raza scored a sublime 73 off 43 balls in an otherwise ordinary batting display, as South Africa limited Zimbabwe to 153 for seven.
After removing the dangerous duo of Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock in his first two overs in the powerplay, Raza dismissed a rampaging Dewald Brevis (42 off 18 balls), leaving the Proteas at 101 for five in the 11th over.
With another 53 runs needed and the ball keeping low, South Africa felt the pressure, but Tristan Stubbs (21 not out off 24 balls) and George Linde (31 not out off 21 balls) were able to complete the job in 17.5 overs.
Losing their first three wickets inside the powerplay, Brevis and David Miller did what they are known for to take the wind out of Zimbabwe's sails. A barrage of big hits suddenly shifted the momentum back to South Africa.
There were a few more hiccups in the run chase, but Stubbs and Linde ensured South Africa carried their unbeaten run into the semi-final against New Zealand in Kolkata.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe lost all three of their games in the Super Eights phase after topping the group stage. Despite the loss, Raza shone in the afternoon game at Ferozshah Kotla.
The Zimbabwe captain got the fours and sixes at will, while the other batters struggled to find the same rhythm against a high-quality pace attack.
The batters, apart from Raza, tried to attack the likes of Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje, and the in-form Lungi Ngidi, but were unsuccessful.
Maphaka and Nortje are not even part of the usual South Africa eleven, with Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj rested from the inconsequential game leading up to the semi-final.
Having done well to reach the Super Eights, Zimbabwe found it tough to replicate their league-stage success against the bigger teams.
Raza knows what they need to do to consistently challenge the established teams, but they are not there yet. Power-hitting is a critical aspect of the shortest format, and the team needs more batters like Raza to put high-quality attacks under pressure.
On Sunday, openers Tadiwanashe Marumani (7) and Brian Bennett (15) began well against left-arm spinner George Linde, but could not maintain the pace against the pacers.
Left-handed Marumani saw his leg-stump rattled as he attempted to smash left-arm pacer Maphaka, while Bennett was unable to clear the fielder when he tried to dispatch Anrich Nortje over mid-off.
However, Raza batted like a man possessed after being hurried by Nortje on his very first ball.
He pulled Corbin Bosch over deep backward square leg for a six, besides collecting a couple of fours in the sixth over, taking Zimbabwe to 45/2 in six overs.
Raza continued to get the big hits at will, while he was disappointed to see wickets falling at regular intervals at the other end.
The Zimbabwe captain displayed that he was a cut above the rest in the Zimbabwe batting lineup by backing away to Nortje for a drive past mid-off and a flat six over deep mid-wicket on the following ball in the eighth over.
He went on to make a well-deserved half-century off 29 balls, but the support act never came, leaving Zimbabwe with a below-par total.
