South Africa thrash hosts India & take giant strides towards semis

 

It was in Ahmedabad that India’s dream of ODI World Cup glory had once shattered. Now, on the same ground, their T20 World Cup campaign stands on the brink after a crushing 76-run defeat to South Africa in the Super Eight. Under pressure, India’s much-vaunted batting line-up collapsed like a house of cards, raising serious fears of an early exit on home soil. More than just a defeat, it was an embarrassing and one-sided performance for a star-studded side that was outplayed in batting, bowling, and fielding alike.

Chasing a stiff target of 188, India were bundled out for a paltry 111, utterly overwhelmed by a composed and tactically superior South African unit that showcased how to handle high-pressure situations in global tournaments.

After winning the toss in Ahmedabad, Proteas captain Aiden Markram opted to bat first—a decision that appeared risky given the typically high-scoring nature of the pitch and the looming dew factor. However, Markram seemed clear about two key aspects: chasing big totals in World Cup knock stages is never easy, and India’s batting had shown vulnerability under pressure. Both assumptions proved spot on.

India struck early through Jasprit Bumrah (3/15) and Arshdeep Singh (2/28), who rocked South Africa’s top order. Bumrah dismissed Quinton de Kock in the second over, while Arshdeep removed Markram in the very next. Bumrah’s clever variation in pace then accounted for Ryan Rickelton, leaving South Africa reeling at 20 for 3 after four overs. At that stage, the momentum was firmly with India.

Yet, the Proteas refused to panic. Displaying remarkable composure, they steadied the innings through the remainder of the powerplay before launching a calculated counterattack against the spinners and medium pacers. David Miller turned the tide with a destructive 63 off just 35 balls, while Dewald Brevis contributed a fluent 45 to rebuild the innings on a solid platform. Just when India seemed to regain control through Bumrah and Arshdeep’s disciplined spells, a costly over from Hardik Pandya, which leaked 20 runs, released the pressure and allowed South Africa to surge to a formidable 187.

On a batting-friendly Ahmedabad surface, the target was challenging but far from impossible. However, India’s recurring frailty under scoreboard pressure resurfaced at the worst possible time. For the fourth consecutive match, the opening pair failed to deliver, with Ishan Kishan falling for a duck and Abhishek managing a scratchy 15, looking uncomfortable against the moving ball and pace variations from Marco Jansen.

While South Africa had recovered patiently after early setbacks, India’s batters showed little composure. Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar perished while attempting ambitious strokes outside the crease, both falling to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps—dismissals that reflected poor game awareness rather than scoreboard necessity.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav tried to anchor the chase against the probing spells of Lungi Ngidi but lasted only 18 balls. Hardik Pandya’s attempt to accelerate ended in failure, and Rinku Singh departed without troubling the scorers. Only Shivam Dube showed brief resistance with a few aggressive strokes; otherwise, India might not even have crossed the 100-run mark.

Keshav Maharaj led the bowling charge brilliantly with 3 for 24, while Marco Jansen’s fiery spell of 4 for 22 dismantled the middle order. Though Ngidi went wicketless, his variations and disciplined lines effectively strangled the Indian batting unit. In the end, India’s innings folded meekly for 111, sealing a dominant and clinical South African victory that exposed glaring weaknesses in India’s temperament under pressure.