Do you know that feeling of ordering a sizzling hot steak, and it arrives to look fantastic, only to have the waiter, in a moment of clumsiness, trip over his own feet and dump it all over your lap? Watching South Africa play in Visakhapatnam was exactly that. The first two hours were nothing short of spectacular; Quinton de Kock destroyed the Indian bowling line-up, and the Proteas seemed on their way to posting a massive score of 320 plus. The Vizag crowd was silent, and the Protea fire was burning brightly. In a moment, however, reality would kick in in the form of a dramatic collapse, followed by an onslaught from India’s ruthless batting unit.
The “Quinton or Bust” Middle-Order Implosion
Let’s face it: If we remove Quinton de Kock’s masterful 106 off 89 deliveries from this scorecard, South Africa’s batting card would look like a crime scene. The Proteas had been in a good position when they were 199/5, ready to go big for the last 15 overs; however, as always with cricket, she is a harsh mistress demanding more than just one player show up to the party.
When QDK was bowled by Prasidh Krishna, all wheels were removed. Aiden Markram, who normally holds things together, got out after just three balls. The middle and bottom order batting of Brevis, Jansen, and Bosch seemed like they were batting on an entirely different surface than the rest of their team. The loss of the last five wickets for 71 runs is bad enough, but losing your last five wickets before you had batted out the full fifty overs.
Kuldeep Yadav: The Momentum Assassin
Although Prasidh Krishna finished with four wickets, it was the finger spin from Kuldeep Yadav that caused the most harm for South Africa. As soon as South Africa attempted to build momentum with both Brevis and Jansen at the crease, Kuldeep created an almost inescapable web of spin, which forced the batters to strangle themselves.
Kuldeep’s figures of 4/41 in 10 overs are absolutely golden when batting on a batting-friendly Vizag surface. After the very dangerous Dewald Brevis was sent back to the pavilion, and as ‘Baby AB’ was ready to launch into attack mode, Kuldeep clinically eliminated the tailenders before they had a chance to play a stroke.
A Toothless Bowling Attack vs. The Jaiswal-Rohit Juggernaut
South Africa’s bowling unit was expensive. The price tag for the pace attack was high. Lungi Ngidi cost his side almost $8 per over, and Ottneil Baartman (the backup paceman) cost even more, just shy of $9 an over. There was no swing, there was no seam movement and quite honestly, no backup plan. At one point, it seemed like Virat Kohli was simply going through the motions when he knocked up a casual 65* off 45 deliveries against South Africa. It looked as though he was playing some “easy” mode on a video game.
South Africa’s bowlers were unable to take advantage of the conditions, and their bowlers did not seem to be targeting the stumps, leaving India with a considerable amount of time to chase the total and ultimately do so with 61 overs remaining. Anytime you lose a Test by 9 wickets, you are making a statement about your bowling plans.
FAQs
Who was the Player of the Match in the 3rd IND vs SA ODI?
Yashasvi Jaiswal was named Player of the Match for his brilliant, unbeaten century (116* off 121 balls) that guided India to an easy win.
How many wickets did Kuldeep Yadav take in the match?
Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for India, spinning a web around the Proteas to claim 4 wickets for just 41 runs.
Who was the top scorer for South Africa?
Quinton de Kock was the standout performer for the visitors, scoring a rapid 106 runs off 89 balls, including 8 fours and 6 sixes.
Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.
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