“I’m not 100% fit but I think it’s got to be good enough”
You do not want your captain to utter these words ahead of your team’s semifinal match against 5-time World Champions Australia. But Temba Bauvma did. He had said the same thing a day earlier during the pre-match presser.
And when Bavuma walked out to the middle on Thursday, under overcast conditions – bordering gloomy there was a sense of Déjà vu. In the 2015 World Cup against New Zealand, South Africa had opted to field a semi-fit player. South Africa went on to lose the fixture courtesy of a World Cup special by Grant Elliot.
Bavuma’s average languishes under 20 this ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, having scored a mere 145 runs in seven matches. Six of his teammates have scored more runs than him – including the No.7 batter, primarily a bowler, Marco Jansen. Yet, he is the captain – a true leader as per his teammates.
Sitting on the bench is Reeza Hendricks, who averages just a shade under 30 in ODIs, but when Bavuma was down with a stomach bug, he had chipped in 85 against England at the Wankhede, roughly a month back. His last three ODI scores before the start of the tournament were: 52, 39, 28.
Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts.
Bavuma in this tournament has managed to face 30 or more deliveries in an innings only twice. His best score: was 35.
“No one is bigger than the team at the end of the day. That applies to Temba and everyone else,” coach Rob Walter had said two days before the game. He went on to add: “Being skipper will not give Bavuma extra protection if the injury does not heal sufficiently and inhibits his play.”
Yet Bavuma came out to open with Quinton de Kock.
Mitchell Starc started with a full delivery, and Bavuma went for a tentative drive without much foot movement. Next two delivery, wide outside off, Bavuma left both. 4th delivery – Starc squeezed his line and the ball angled in with the left-armer’s natural angle; Bavuma poked, edged and Jos Inglis did the rest behind the stumps.
T Bavuma c Inglis b Starc – 0(4)
Australian Bowlers Opening Burst
4 overs and right runs later, QDK went. 5 overs and 14 runs later Aiden Markram went. One over and two runs later, Rassie van der Dussen went. South Africa 24/4.
The gloom in and around the Eden Gardens because of the weather turned into doom in the SA camp. Another semifinal, another unpredictable weather scenario and South Africa choke, again! A script that now is far too well known for the supporters and cricket fans alike.
And this was the reason why South Africa, despite finishing higher in the league stages than Australia, equal on points, but still – were not the favourites heading into this fixture.
SA vs AUS Live Score ICC World Cup 2023 Semi-final
Overall you could say the Proteas had a better campaign than Australia up until now – add to that South Africa beating Australia in the league stages. This South African team do not have the baggage of the unkind history weighing down on them. The current squad – barring David Miller and QDK do not carry the ghosts of 1992, 1999, 2007 and 2015.
But we are talking about taking on Australia here. When it comes to a knockout fixture in a World Cup – Australia is always a favourite, so the history suggests. In their previous eight semi-final appearances, they have won all barring one. One other was the 1999 tie.
And Australia showed up and how! Starc saves his best for the World Cups and he showed why. There was spring in the steps of every Australian fielder. Marnus Labuschagne diving around to stop certain boundaries in the covers felt like the great Ricky Ponting diving around. Josh Hazlewood quietly went about his business. It felt like South Africa would not even last half of their scheduled 50 overs.
However, the rain came, and for once it favoured the Proteas. They regrouped and their two best batters – Heinrich Klassen and David Miller went about rebuilding the innings to a large extent before Travis Head’s part-time pegged them back, Miller went on to score a well-made century, but in the larger context of things, this may be one fine knock that may not be remembered, as it should be.
What could go down in history is how South Africa lost the plot again. And this time the external factors were in their favour. The toss went to them and the weather threat – funny enough — was to aid the Proteas if rains came.
With this score of 212 score South Africa would feel like saying “I’m not 100% fit but I think it’s got to be good enough”. — which in the context of the match, and for Bavuma, may not be good enough.
Still yet, the game is only half done. 214 was the score South Africa were chasing in the iconic 1999 World Cup, 213 is now what Australia require. All up to Keshwav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi.
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