T20 World Cup: Saffers Snap India's Winning Streak

Aiden Markram, part-time off-spinner and full-time captain of South Africa, stood at the top of his mark at the very start of India’s chase, waiting for the home openers to make their way to the crease at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Markram had earlier won the toss, stuck his side into bat, been a part of a collapse that once saw the South Africans reduced to 20/3, and yet end up with a total of 187 runs in their innings. Now, with the ball in hand, Markram took the shiny new ball to begin a defence of their hefty total.

The presence of an off-spinner to greet Abhishek Sharma was expected, given that the lefty had gotten out to one in each of his previous two matches (Pakistan’s Salman Agha and Netherlands’ Aryan Dutt). Not just dismissed, but for a duck and in the very first over, on each of the two occasions. Add to that Abhishek’s first ball dismissal against USA’s Ali Khan (a medium pacer) in the campaign opener, the face of India’s new-gen had strung together a hattrick of zeroes at his first World Cup. Almost understandably then, Abhishek didn’t take strike, leaving that to the side’s red-hot batter, Ishan Kishan.

So, Markram dismissed the other lefty for nought anyway, beginning the very long end of India’s unbeaten streak of 13 wins at the T20 World Cup, their previous loss stretching all the way back to the semifinal of the 2022 edition. Having bowled three dot balls to begin the innings, Markram floated one outside Kishan’s off stump and forced a wild slog, the miscue caught safely at covers. In came another lefty in Tilak Varma and out he went first ball, albeit in the following over bowled by Marco Jansen, after having charged down the wicket and tickling an edge to the wicketkeeper.

It was Jansen who soon ended Abhishek’s growing innings, just as it was looking dangerous. Abhishek had finally shaken off his rust in Kagiso Rabada’s first over, the third of the innings. He used the bowler’s pace to first ramp a six over third man and then bash a full toss past point for a scorching four. Those two hits had given Abhishek his confidence back, enough to try and club a knuckle-ball by Jansen for a six over midwicket soon after. But the shot went high and not long and was caught sensationally by a diving Corbin Bosch, despite having collided into Keshav Maharaj. India were now 26/3, needing the kind of rescue act that David Miller (63) and Dewald Brevis (45) had provided South Africa from a similar stage. And all eyes at the Motera shifted towards India captain Suryakumar Yadav.

In the lead up to this World Cup and during it as well, Surya had bailed India out of a few false starts, his incredible essay of 84 (unbeaten) against USA at the Wankhede being the standout. But Bosch had more tricks up his sleeve than just pulling off collision catches. The Proteas pacer nicked off Washington Sundar in his first over, the eighth of the innings, and Surya with the first ball of his second, bang at the midway stage of the chase. Suryakumar had tried to swish at a shortish delivery behind square, only for a toe-end hit to be pouched by Brevis at midwicket. As he walked off with the score at 51/5, he perhaps would’ve known that there wasn’t a way back for his side.

There wasn’t, despite a last-ditch effort from India’s all-rounders, Shivam Dube (42) and Hardik Pandya (18). But their stand, while it lasted, was largely boundaryless, ensuring South Africa’s vice-like grip on the death overs handed a humiliating 76-run loss to India in their opening match of the Super 8s stage. It may have been the first loss of this World Cup for Surya's side, but it was gruesome enough to ensure that every India game from here on is now truly do-or-die.

Brief scores: South Africa 187/7 in 20 overs (David Miller 63, Dewald Brevis 45; Jasprit Bumrah 3/15) beat India 111 all out in 18.5 overs (Shivam Dube 42; Marco Jansen 4/22) by 76 runs