Ahmedabad | The one dimensional "attack at all cost" template of Indian batting unit was thoroughly exposed as the hosts failed their first big test against South Africa, comprehensively losing their opening Super Eights game by 76 runs in the T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
While four victories on the trot in the group stage papered over the visible lacunae, the Indian batters totally faltered on a slightly sluggish surface
The defeat, India's first since the semi-final loss to England in the 2022 edition, has left the group wide open and make their next two games against Zimbabwe (February 26) and West Indies (March 1) literally must-win games in order to qualify for the last four stage.
Jasprit Bumrah's (3/15 in 4 overs) superlative bowling performance was completely undone by an inept batting show as India were bowled out for a lowly 111 in 18.5 overs in pursuit of 188.
Marco Jansen (4/22), Keshav Maharaj (3/24) and Corbin Bosch (2/12) were the wreckers-in-chief in what was a complete performance by the Proteas.
But David Miller's 63 and useful contributions from Dewald Brevis (45) and Tristan Stubbs (44 n.o.) should also get honourable mention especially as they nullified Varun Chakravarthy (1/47 in 4 overs) with aplomb.
But anyone who saw the Indian batters stutter against the USA, Namibia and the Netherlands knew that it required just one good team to force them to change gears, and they found their bogey unit in South Africa.
On a black soil surface where the ball was gripping, none of the Indian batters got the measure of Proteas' attack which fired collectively.
Skipper Aiden Markram made the job easier by removing the dangerous Ishan Kishan (0) with a delivery that stopped on him and he played the ugliest cross-batted hoick.
Tilak Varma's (1) approach towards batting in the whole tourney had been faulty and he lasted only two balls.
Tilak’s intention to give Marco Jansen the charge ended disastrously and he also wasted a DRS for a nick that possibly could have been heard as far as at the Sabarmati Ashram.
Abhishek Sharma (15) got his first World Cup runs but he is completely out of sorts and it took one pace-off knuckle ball from India's nemesis Jansen to sort him out.
The debatable decision to include Washington Sundar in place of regular vice-captain Axar Patel turned out to be a complete harakiri as the over-rated white ball all-rounder neither set the stage on fire with ball or bat.
Suryakumar Yadav (18 off 22 balls) couldn't get the ball off square at times and on a difficult surface against a good attack, his performance once again left a lot to be desired.
Suryakumar wouldn't even like to look at his dismissal off Bosch, as he flicked a delivery on leg-stump to mid-wicket.
At 51 for 5, the match was as good as over but Hardik Pandya (18 off 17 balls) and Shivam Dube (42 off 37 balls) were still there at the crease.
The duo added 35 runs but the bowling plans devised by South African coach Shukri Conrad was remarkable at that phase.
Lungi Ngidi and Bosch bowled wide yorkers at variable pace which the two big hitters couldn't negotiate well.
Spinner Keshav Maharaj (3/24) adjusted his lengths and bowled at a slower pace which made it immensely difficult to get under the ball and generate power.
Once Pandya and Rinku were dismissed, the 90,000-odd spectators slowly trudged out carrying the disappointment of another World Cup game defeat at this venue.
Earlier, David Miller rolled back the years with exhilarating strokes but Bumrah's superb initial and end act had restricted South Africa to a manageable 187 for seven in 20 overs.
Miller, standing on the cusp of 37, struck 63 off 35 balls and got fine support from young Dewald Brevis (45 off 29 balls) after Bumrah (3/15 in 4 overs) and Arshdeep Singh (2/28 in 4 overs) had reduced the Proteas to 20 for 3 inside the first four overs.
Bumrah, who got two wickets in his first two overs for just seven runs, took one more wicket giving away just 8 more runs across the 17th and 19th over that he sent down but all went down the drain.
