That’ll be all from me, folks. India were all over South Africa today, making 326 on a far from straightforward surface before the quicks began with a tight new-ball burst. Jadeja arrived to clean up with a five-for on a turning track, but all five bowlers were irresistible. I have no idea how you stop them.
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Geoff Wignall is looking for the positives. “After the hammering his bowling took, I don’t suppose it’ll be great consolation to Jansen that he was SA’s top scorer.” He made 14!
This got a chuckle out of me.
For some reason, there's quite a lot less fanfare about Ravindra Jadeja equalling Sachin Tendulkar's tally of ODI five-fors
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) November 5, 2023
Kohli is the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 101. “I had this sense of it’s going to be something more today rather than just one more game in the World Cup,” he tells Harsha Bhogle. “I did wake up with that excitement.”
On equaling Tendulkar’s record of most ODI hundreds:
“To equal my hero’s record in one-day internationals is something that is a huge honour for me. I know people like comparisons – I’m never going to be as good as him, there’s a reason why we all looked up to him. He’s perfection when it comes to batting. I’m trying to do my best, trying to win games for my country. He’s always going to be my hero regardless of what happens. It’s a very emotional moment for me.”
“Having enjoyed the Kohli record-breaking masterclass this morning and the early overs of SA’s knock, I felt this was going just one way,” writes Dean Kinsella. “So I have to admit to drifting off to watch a bit of footy. But having just popped back to the latest situation here I’m shocked at quick the caputulation has been. SA have been pretty darn good in this comp so far but they are being absolutely mashed. Can anyone stop this fabulous Indian team?”
I guess the maddest thing about all of this is that I still think South Africa are the closest side to winning this – face India in the final and they’ll just have to hope they win the toss and bat first.
Jadeja finishes with five wickets but the occasion, as ever, belongs to Kohli. His 49th ODI hundred brought him level with his hero, Sachin Tendulkar, and all this on his 35th birthday.
India beat South Africa by 243 runs
A Kuldeep googly goes straight through Ngidi and that’s that – what a thrashing that is. For the second time this week, India have bowled their opponents out for a two-figure score. Sri Lanka were the first to get done, but South Africa – the only other confirmed semi-finalists – were meant to provide a real test here. Instead, India have been phenomenal. World Cup glory feels inevitable.
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27th over: South Africa 83-9 (Ngidi 0, Shamsi 4) Shamsi, who seems like he’ll have a bit of fun here, throws the bat at a fuller delivery and finds four through the leg side.
Jadeja has five wickets! Rabada c&b Jadeja 6 (South Africa 79-9)
Tossed up by Jadeja and Rabada pummels a drive straight back to the bowler. He’s bowled beautifully.
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26th over: South Africa 79-8 (Rabada 6, Ngidi 0) The Proteas need 248 off 24 overs, in case you were wondering.
WICKET! Jansen c Jadeja b Kuldeep 14 (South Africa 79-8)
Simples. Jansen just pokes at the ball off the backfoot, chipping to Jadeja at cover for the easiest of grabs.
25th over: South Africa 78-7 (Rabada 5, Jansen 14) Rohit wants to finish this up now; he brings Bumrah, still without a wicket today, back. There’s a funky slower ball in there as the bowler mixes it up. Jansen sees off five dots before playing a top shot, lofting Bumrah down the ground for four.
24th over: South Africa 74-7 (Jansen 10, Rabada 5) This win, by the way, will mean India top the table with a game still left to play.
23rd over: South Africa 70-7 (Rabada 3, Jansen 8) Jadeja, somehow, is still waiting for his fifth wicket. It’s another maiden – this game finished a while back.
22nd over: South Africa 70-7 (Jansen 8, Rabada 3) Kuldeep tweaks away with two slips in for Rabada. A beautifully-flighted delivery spins sharply past the outside edge. Maiden.
21st over: South Africa 70-7 (Rabada 3, Jansen 8) Jadeja pleads for his fifth wicket, as he tries to trap Rabada lbw. Just one off the over.
“Good afternoon Taha.” Hi there, Simon McMahon. “Maybe it’s just me, but if I was an Indian supporter, I’d be getting a bit nervous by now. This Indian side is so good, so dominant, and so deserve to win this World Cup, and yet, as we know in sport, the best team doesn’t always win, especially in knockout competitions. But right now, it’s hard to see anyone beating them. Though I’m sure Australia will have something to say about that, and possibly even Pakistan. Imagine that…”
Anything can happen on the day, but it is plain silly just how much better they’ve been than everyone else.
20th over: South Africa 69-7 (Jansen 8, Rabada 2) Kuldeep runs through another quick set. “India does look quite invincible at the moment, but there are two knockouts to be won under extreme pressure,” writes Arul Kanhere. “Do you know of any tournament when a team looked this good but lost the final? - Bayern’s loss to Chelsea in 2012 comes to mind.”
19th over: South Africa 68-7 (Rabada 1, Jansen 8) Jadeja finishes the over with an lbw shout, but India opt against reviewing it after the umpire turns it down.
WICKET! Maharaj b Jadeja 7 (South Africa 67-7)
Jadeja has two slips in as he chases another wicket. Jansen skips down the pitch for a big shot, but doesn’t get the right connection… it lands safely at mid-off. But there’s Jadeja’s fourth: fast, pitching on middle and leg, and turning past the outside edge to dismiss Maharaj.
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18th over: South Africa 65-6 (Maharaj 6, Jansen 7) Kuldeep Yadav gets his first bowl of the day, and runs through his motions quickly to concede just one off it.
17th over: South Africa 64-6 (Maharaj 5, Jansen 7) Maharaj punches off the backfoot for four, that a brief moment of respite for the Proteas.
WICKET! Miller b Jadeja 11 (South Africa 59-6)
Miller tries to paddle Jadeja again, moving across his stumps – but he goes too far and doesn’t get the bat on it. South Africa are struggling to get to three figures here.
16th over: South Africa 59-5 (Miller 11, Jansen 7) Shami glides in for another set and finally errs, bowling a wide as an offcutter goes wrong. Little else has for the quick bowler.
15th over: South Africa 52-5 (Jansen 2, Miller 10) David Miller gets inventive to halt Jadeja, moving across his stumps to play a little paddle down to fine leg for four. Another boundary closes the over, the crowd suddenly completely quiet. Time for drinks.
14th over: South Africa 42-5 (Miller 0, Jansen 2) Shami has 15 wickets in the tournament. This is his fourth game.
WICKET! van der Dussen lbw Shami 13 (South Africa 40-5)
Shami thuds the ball into van der Dussen’s pads and it looks a great shout – but the umpire’s finger doesn’t go up. The bowler is desperate for a review, and his captain obliges. The seam is perfect, the ball jags in, and it’s hitting the back pad. Ball-tracking produces three reds once again – this is carnage.
13th over: South Africa 40-4 (van der Dussen 13, Miller 0) That lbw looked to me like it was pitching outside leg, but it was just about in line and there’s enough in this pitch for the ball to straighten up from there.
WICKET! Klaasen lbw Jadeja 1 (South Africa 40-4)
Klaasen, off his 10th delivery, gets off the mark with a single against Jadeja. There’s an lbw shout against Klaasen later in the over, but looks leg-sideish to me… India decide to review… Oh, never mind, me it’s three reds!
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12th over: South Africa 37-3 (van der Dussen 11, Klaasen 0) Klaasen middles a cover drive, but it flies straight to the fielder. Shami, all straight lines and subtle changes, refuses to provide any width. Just one off the over.
11th over: South Africa 36-3 (van der Dussen 10, Klaasen 0) Jadeja continues his spell of left-arm havoc, getting big, big turn. It’s quick, too, so South Africa have to be careful going back to him. Just one off the over as he races through his action.
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10th over: South Africa 35-3 (van der Dussen 9, Klaasen 0) That ball from Shami moved away from Markram, completely befuddling a top-class batter. India just look unbeatable, don’t they?
WICKET! Markram c Rahul b Shami 9 (South Africa 35-3)
Shami, averaging 6.71 (!) with the ball in this World Cup, enters the game. Markram drives him down the ground for four, a shot Siraj should have stopped at mid-on. Ooof, an inside-edge follows as Shami seams the ball back into Markram, and it runs away for four. And then another wicket! Shami gets Markram’s outside edge and the ball carries low to KL Rahul. India are running away with this.
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9th over: South Africa 27-2 (Markram 1, van der Dussen 9) Markram gets off strike straightaway, and Jadeja is a touch too short with his next ball – van der Dussen carves through the off side for four.
WICKET! Bavuma b Jadeja 11 (South Africa 22-2)
Bumrah takes a breather and with the pitch offering a bit of grip, Rohit calls for Jadeja’s left-arm twirl. And there it is! The ball pitching on middle and turning past Bavuma’s defence to rattle the stumps. South Africa have lost their captain and are in all sorts.
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8th over: South Africa 21-1 (van der Dussen 4, Bavuma 11) Dot, dot, dot (a sharp bumper), dot, dot, dot. It just ain’t happening for South Africa right now.
7th over: South Africa 21-1 (Bavuma 11, van der Dussen 4) Bumrah gets a bit of lift off the surface and Bavuma attacks it unconvincingly – the ball just about escapes the reach of backward point, allowing for a single. India simply aren’t letting up here.
6th over: South Africa 19-1 (van der Dussen 3, Bavuma 10) Siraj bounces in, and van der Dussen is tied down with dot after dot, with little room given for him to free his arms. A single off the final ball takes him to 3 off 16.
5th over: South Africa 17-1 (Bavuma 9, van der Dussen 2) Bavuma finds his first boundary, using a straight bat to run the ball through midwicket. He’s up against the white ball, but the situation requires a bit of red-ball expertise at the moment, with Bumrah jagging it about. The South Africa captain dabs the ball down to extra cover and sneaks a quick single.
4th over: South Africa 12-1 (Bavuma 4, van der Dussen 2) Bavuma clips Siraj off his pads for a couple, and rotates the strike the next ball with a single. Van der Dussen finally gets off the mark, dissecting midwicket for two. Siraj, like Bumrah, is hunting for those stumps, keeping straight and steady.
3rd over: South Africa 7-1 (Bavuma 1, van der Dussen 0) Bumrah gets some extravagant movement off the pitch to jag the ball back into Bavuma, who nearly chops on but escapes with a single. The India quick is constantly challenging the stumps, and the early exchanges have a Test-match feel to them, with van der Dussen just looking to survive. A ball moves away from the tall right-hander and just misses out on the outside edge.
2nd over: South Africa 6-1 (Bavuma 0, van der Dussen 0) Two slips in for van der Dussen and South Africa are already feeling the heat.
WICKET! De Kock b Siraj 5 (South Africa 6-1)
Siraj greets de Kock with a tasty inswinger that the batter hits onto his own foot – he’s hurt himself and out comes the doc. He soldiers on, and unfurls a wonderful off-drive for four. AND THEN THE WICKET! Siraj pulls back his length and de Kock drags the ball onto his stumps, cutting at a ball that wasn’t wide enough for it.
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1st over: South Africa 2-0 (de Kock 1, Bavuma 0) Bumrah, with that gorgeous, immaculate presentation of the seam, immediately tests de Kock’s defence. The left-hander pushes awkwardly at the second ball, and another dot follows with the third. Then there’s a full toss, wide of off stump, but de Kock can’t get the desired connection. A wide follows, then a forward-defence, then a little edge that runs away to third man for a single. Nervy start from the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
Bumrah has the ball. De Kock is on strike. Let’s play!
Right then, we’re not far away from the restart. This is gonna be good – Bumrah and Siraj, scintillating with the new ball in the demolition of Sri Lanka earlier this week, up against de Kock, who has four (!) hundreds in the tournament.
Can’t get over those Kohli numbers. It seemed liked he’d lost his magic powers a year or two ago, worn down after years of being the most intense, brilliant batter in the game. But he’s come back strong in 2023, and it does feel like this’ll be to him what 2011 was for Tendulkar – the crowning moment. He’s made seven international hundreds across forms this year from 31 knocks.
Thanks very much Rob. Well, it’s been Kohli’s day so far but this South African batting unit have been immense in this tournament. The tricky thing for them? They’ve not exactly loved chasing, their best work done when they’ve batted first. They lost to the Netherlands when set a target of 246, and they just got over the line against Pakistan in a one-wicket win chasing 271.
That feels like a matchwinning total, although so did 401 yesterday I suppose. Taha Hashim will join you in a second for the runchase. Thanks for your company – I’ll leave you with this evocative email from Darryl Accone.
Well, you asked about it Rob (31st over), so here goes. Barry Richards tends to be overlooked these days, eclipsed somehow by the other Richards, of whom even young cricket fans know much. For an exhilarating time in the 1970s the two Richards were the finest around and tellingly Don Bradman chose Barry to open the batting in his all-time XI, partnered by Arthur Morris (Australia). Viv didn’t make the team.
That melancholy you point out in the photograph of Barry reflects I think the tragedy of a player so endowed with genius by the cricket gods being unable to play more than four Tests because of the sports boycott of South Africa, admittedly something of greater importance.
The hundred of his I appreciated best was atypical to begin with. Far from the fluidity, exquisite timing and placement Barry typically showed, here he scratched around almost laboriously against a strong Western Province attack on the opening morning of a a weighty provincial game. The crowd at his Kingsmead home ground grew restive, then perturbed and finally even broke out into slow handclaps.
This in the context for me (and them!) of having seen Richards race to several hundreds before lunch on the opening day of matches, when he was all grace, playing the ball later than seemed possible, everything under the eyes, controlled, peerless.
At lunch, Richards had 40. Whatever he ate - and Kingsmead then was renowned for its Durban Curry repasts - he came out transformed. Gone was the curious hesitancy and lethargy. The second ball after lunch was dispatched by one of his trademarks, the cover drive, and in an hour he had gone seamlessly to his century. It was the contrast between the pre-lunch struggle that shockingly suggested to my youthful sensibility that he might be fallible and the carefree grace of the gods that followed which left such a deep impression.
More from Virat Kohli
To [equal the record] on my birthday in front of such a huge crowd; it’s the stuff of dreams. As a child you wish something like that happens, so I’m very grateful to God that I’ve been blessed with these moments. So much love from the fans as well. I’ll just continue to try to help the team in any way possible.
I think our total is well above par. The way the ball was gripping through the middle overs, it wasn’t easy, and we have a quality bowling attack. We have to work hard. The wicket will get slower and slower so hopefully we start well with the new ball.
Virat Kohli speaks
The wicket was a bit tricky to bat on. We got a great start through Rohit and Shubman so when I got in my job was to keep that momentum going. After the Powerplay the ball started gripping and the wicket started slowing down as the ball got older, so me and Shreyas had a different role. Once we lost Rohit and Shubman in the first ten overs, my role was to bat through the innings; that’s what I’ve done over the years, and that was the communication from the team as well. We didn’t think we would get to 327, but that’s what happens when you take it deep.
We had a lot of practice sessions before the Asia Cup. In those sessions Shreyas and I invariably batted together, because we knew we were Nos 3 and 4. In the middle I said to him, ‘This is the partnership, this is the partnership’. Both of us are pretty comfortable rotating the strike against spinners, and then when he loose balls he put them away so credit to him.
As I said, when you lose two wickets and you don’t have Hardik in your team, you need to bat deep and get to a stage where the opposition feels like they have to restrict you rather than thinking, ‘We’re one wicket away’. He batted beautifully and strike rotation was the key.
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South Africa need 327 to win
50th overs: India 326-5 (Kohli 101, Jadeja 29) Just a single off the last ball, after which all the South African players run up to congratulate Virat Kohli. He walks off wearily but then breaks into a smile when he sees another South Africa – his old mate AB de Villiers, who comes up to embrace him.
Poor Marco Jansen finishes with 9.4-0-94-1, the most expensive spell by a South African at a World Cup.
49.5 overs: India 325-5 (Kohli 100, Jadeja 29) Jadeja scrunches successive boundaries off Jansen, then takes a single to finish a riotous cameo of 29 not out from 15 balls. Kohli will face the last delivery…
Ngidi is leaving the field. He’s limping slightly and must be a doubt for the semi-final a week on Thursday. He finishes a very tough afternoon’s work with figures of 8.2-0-63-1.
Just when Marco Jansen was out, they pull him back in: he’ll bowl the last four balls of the innings.
Ngidi suffers potential hamstring injury
49.2 overs: India 316-5 (Kohli 100, Jadeja 20) This is a worry for South Africa. Jadeja clatters a huge six off Ngidi, who immediately feels his hamstring and sits down on the pitch. South Africa can’t risk losing him for the semi-final; it would be ludicrous.
“I feel nervous and excited that we may be about to enter into a late imperial phase for Kohli,” says Pete Salmon. “In his pomp he seemed fired by anger and a sense of retribution (as I guess we all are, you, me, Kohli) but it feels like he may now have put away childish things and be moving into a serene state of dominance (also us). My hot tip, more runs between 35 and 40 than he scored between 30 and 35. Heard it here first.”
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49th over: India 309-5 (Kohli 100, Jadeja 14) Rabada finishes an admirable spell with figures of 10-1-48-1. It’s not about him.
Kohli has reached 49 ODI hundreds in 277 innings; Tendulkar played 452. I know the balance between bat and ball has changed, but that’s still a startling statistic. Even the magnificent Rohit Sharma, who is third on the list, has needed 251 innings for his 31 centuries.
“Good day Rob, from an overcast Cape Town,” writes Trevor Tutu. “We aren’t yet over the euphoria of the Boks’ win, but I think that we have the stamina to celebrate the Proteas lifting the World Cup too. I hope that all the analysts are wrong to think that the South African batting will be tied up in knots by the Indian spinners.
“I am enjoying the memories of the opening partnerships of Greenidge and Richards. I had a thoroughly disreputable MG in those days, and we would follow Hampshire to their JPL Sunday matches in the Home Counties in between replacing gaskets, universal joints, exhausts, big ends and all the other bits that could go wrong and prevent you from getting to the ground on time.”
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Virat Kohli equals Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI hundreds!
48.3 overs: India 306-5 (Kohli 100, Jadeja 11) The master scriptwriter has done it again. Virat Kohli, on his 35th birthday, has equalled a record that has been his destiny for the best part of a decade: 49 ODI hundreds, the same as Sachin Tendulkar - and with the chance to make it 50 in a World Cup semi-final or final. His sense of theatre is almost as great as his talent. Almost.
He gets there with a single, appropriately enough in what has been a Michael Bevan tribute innings: 119 balls with 10 fours. Kohli has scored plenty of unruly hundreds but this has been a quiet epic, flawless in its tempo and risk-management. He raises his bat wearily to a crowd of people who absolutely adore him – and that’s just the Indian dressing-room.
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48th over: India 300-5 (Kohli 99, Jadeja 6) Just ones and twos off Shamsi’s final over; he finishes with 10-0-72-1. Right now, it’s not about him. It’s not about anyone on the field apart from Virat Kohli, who needs one run to make history.
47th over: India 293-5 (Kohli 97, Jadeja 1) Kohli sends the crowd into ecstasy by larruping Rabada through extra cover for four. That takes him 97 with one ball remaining in the over. It’s another good yorker and Kohli digs it out.
“I realise this wasn’t exactly ODI enforcement, but my first experience of live cricket, aged 11 and one of only two matches I ever attended with my dad, was seeing Garry Sobers (whom we’d mainly gone to watch) and Clive Lloyd (a complete unknown to us) in partnership for the International Cavaliers v India, Southport 1967,” says Geoff Wignall. “They got 86 apiece, in what felt like half an hour but was probably a couple of hours at least. I doubt they slogged anything. And yes, the sun was shining. I’ve been a cricket addict ever since.”
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46th over: India 285-5 (Kohli 91, Jadeja 0) Four overs to go. Who’s got the master copy of Virat Kohli’s script then?
WICKET! India 285-5 (Suryakumar c de Kock b Shamsi 22)
Suryakumar’s 14-ball cameo comes to an end. The ball after playing a beautiful late cut for four, he tried to reverse sweep Shamsi and got in a muddle. The ball looped up off the glove and was well taken by de Kock, who ran towards short leg and dived forward to grab it just above the floor.
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45th over: India 278-4 (Kohli 89, Suryakumar 17) Kohli has started his century charge. He uses his wrists to whip Jansen to wide long-on for four, steers two past backward point and pushes a single to move to 89.
It’s also a no-ball, which means a free hit for Suryakumar. He misses that one, a wide full toss, but times the next ball down the ground for four. A lusty slap over extra cover makes it 18 from the over.
Marco Jansen, whose figures read 9-0-84-1, is in danger of breaking his own record for the most expensive spell by a South African bowler at a World Cup: 10-0-92-2 against Sri Lanka last month.
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44th over: India 262-4 (Kohli 82, Suryakumar 9) A leading edge from Suryakumar drops just short of the bowler Shamsi. Later in the over Kohli steals a second run on the leg side, the kind of thing Michael Bevan did so well. In fact this whole innings has evoked the best of Bevan.
Suryakumar ends the over on a high with a thumping sweep for four. India are racing towards 300, again.
“One of the reasons I think India has done well is that they have remembered how to play ODI cricket,” writes Anand. “Given that Indians only play IPL T20 and not in multiple leagues, they seem to realise there is more than enough time in 50 overs
“Most other team members play multiple T20 competitions that it has become their default mode. That’s why we also see teams bowled out in 30-40 overs but with a very good run-rate.”
Do we have to talk about England again? (I agree by the way – India have been the smartest batting line-up in the tournament so far.)
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43rd over: India 253-4 (Kohli 78, Suryakumar 4) Suryakumar starts with four dot balls, then clatters Jansen to third man for four. On commentary, Ravi Shastri reckons South Africa will have a chance of victory if dew plays a part. If not, forget it.
“Saw Barry Richards in mid-70s in the JPL Sunday League when Hampshire used to play in Portsmouth,” writes Steve Rackett. “I can remember how nonchalantly he was taking the opposing bowlers apart, he was an artist... and then he skied one. To this day I’ve never seen anyone hit a ball so high, everyone craning their necks, I can remember thinking I really wouldn’t like to be the fielder under that, waiting and waiting for it to come back down.
“Then I saw him in a county match, scoring a hundred in an opening partnership with that well known slow coach at the other end, Gordon Greenidge, who had got to about 30-odd in the same time! What an intimidating opening pair they were.”
Was there a more intimidating opening partnership in the 20th century? A handful might have been more productive but back then it was rare to have one opener who could take an attack to the cleaners, never mind two.
WICKET! India 249-4 (Rahul c van der Dussen b Jansen 8)
This is a fantastic catch from Rassie van der Dussen. KL Rahul picked Jansen up towards square leg, where van der Dussen ran in and slid forward to take an immaculate two-handed catch. Jeez that is outstanding fielding. But it might be a mixed blessing for South Africa, because here comes Suryakumar Yadav.
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42nd over: India 249-3 (Kohli 78, Rahul 8) Tabraiz Shamsi starts a new spell with a wide, then another wide that is also a no-ball. Dear me. He does at least stop Kohli connecting with the free hit, cramping him for room, but there are two more wides later in the over. He’s bowling very straight, trying to give the right-handers no room, but because the ball is turning so much there is almost no margin for error.
“I saw that Aravinda innings against Lancashire and it was one of the best I’ve ever seen,” writes Iain Noble. “Hard hitting not slogging and classic driving. As a Lanky supporter the three seconds or so that Graham Lloyd waited for the ball to come to him for the catch was one of the longest I’ve ever known. I felt just a bit guilty about being pleased he was out.
“Interesting sideline on Lanky history: the shirt sponsors that season (indeed club sponsors generally back then) were NYNEX, a US telecoms and cable company (now part of Verizon). It was thanks to them threatening to withdraw their sponsorship over the issue that the Lancs committee finally got off its arse and agreed to back full membership for women which was enough to get the two-thirds majority required for the rule change at that year’s AGM.”
It’s scary how often progress is really just self-interest. For example, Yorkshire only started signing overseas players because they were in financial trouble.
41st over: India 243-3 (Kohli 77, Rahul 7) Jansen returns, which might the cue for India to go back through the gears. Or not: four singles from the over. Kohli has 77 from 97 balls, Rahul 7 from 14.
40th over: India 239-3 (Kohli 75, Rahul 5) Kohli squirts another superb yorker, this time from Rabada, between his legs for a single. There was a bit of reverse swing there as well.
There are broadly two ways of looking at Kohli’s scoring rate in the last few overs – that he’s playing for his script, or that he’s playing the long game by soaking up a bit more pressure.
I didn’t love Kohli’s glory-management earlier in the tournament but today I think he has played the conditions and nothing else. To borrow his own phrase, Kohli has put his ego in his pocket.
39th over: India 236-3 (Kohli 74, Rahul 3) Ngidi resumes, though he doesn’t look comfortable. Surely it’s not worth risking further damage with the semi-final only 12 days away. He ends the over pretty well, mind you, with Kohli digging out a terrific yorker. India have slowed down since the dismissal of Shreyas, the equivalent of taking a round off to prepare for one last flurry of haymakers.
“Barry Richards?” sniffs Jeremy Boyce. Bournemouth ? Blimey, you’re taking me right back to the John Player League days of the 1970s and 1980s, played on Sundays with one match covered in full on terrestrial! Hampshire were brilliant and fearsome, Barry Richards and Gordon Greenidge opening the batting, and Malcolm Marshall the bowling, still a scary prospect even off the restricted run-up.”
Lord Selvey’s mini-profile of Malcolm Marshall on Cricinfo is such a great piece of writing. Those profiles were originally done for the sadly short-lived Wisden.com in the early 2000s. Selve did all the big West Indians of the 1980s, and a few of his profiles – Viv is another – are up there with my favourite bits of cricket writing. I was just starting out. Those profiles made me realise that internet writing should always aspire to be as good as print, and that an “it’ll do” culture wasn’t acceptable or necessary.
Look, I said aspire.
38.3 over: India 235-3 (Kohli 74, Rahul 2) Kohli cracks a straight drive that hits the bowler Ngidi painfully on the ankle. There’s a break in play while he receives treatment.
“Ever?” says Ross McGillivray. “Good call. It was the public service! (He was back next day.)
Having worked in our equivalent, the civil service, for a year, I know how long some of those lunches can be.
38th over: India 233-3 (Kohli 73, Rahul 1) A leg stump yorker from Rabada is flicked for four by Kohli. He’s writing his own bleedin’ scripts again, isn’t he? It’s his 35th birthday, he needs a century to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI record of 49, and suddenly he’s only 27 runs away.
The commentators, Ricky Ponting especially, are criticising how Temba Bavuma managed Maharaj – by leaving mid-on back throughout, even though the ball was turning away from two right-handers, and by using all his overs in one spell.
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37th over: India 227-3 (Kohli 68, Rahul 0) “Gidday,” writes Ross McGillivray. “I was very junior public servant in Perth in 1970 when my boss came out of his office about half an hour after play had started at the WACA and said he’d heard that Barry Richards was going OK and he thought he might go down for a look. Should be back later, he said. He never came back.”
What, ever?
WICKET! India 227-3 (Shreyas c Markram b Ngidi 77)
Shreyas Iyer dies by the sword. He tried to wallop an Ngidi slower ball into the crowd but slogged it straight up in the air. Markram took the catch to end an innings of two halves: 12 from the first 35 balls, 65 from the last 52. He has rarely played better for his country.
36th over: India 223-2 (Kohli 68, Shreyas 73) Talking of Rabada, he’s back in the attack. Shreyas belts successive deliveries down the ground; the first would have been four but for Jansen’s great stop, the second bounced this far short of Jansen running in.
“All these big hitters in modern-day cricket, from Mark Greatbatch to Sanath Jayasuriya to Lance Klusener to Glenn Maxwell, owe it to the first guy who invented powerplay (in my opinion) even before it became a concept: Krishnamachari Srikkanth.”
I’d love to know more about his career, especially in Test cricket. Saeed Anwar too. But surely Viv Richards was the first true limited-overs enforcer? Unless you mean the first 10 overs only - I wasn’t sure because you mentioned Klusener and Maxwell.
35th over: India 219-2 (Kohli 67, Shreyas 70) Jansen off, Ngidi on. Kohli charges his first ball and whips it through midwicket for four. Some of the South African bowlers are finding this rarefied atmosphere a bit too much. Rabada and Maharaj have been very good; the rest have all gone for at least seven an over.
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34th over: India 213-2 (Kohli 62, Shreyas 70) Kohli wallops a slog sweep towards deep midwicket, where Klaasen saves three runs with a quite brilliant stop. There’s nothing anyone can do when a rank long hop from Markram is pulled behind square for four by Kohli.
Oh good lord. Shreyas monsters another short ball into the crowd at cow corner. That’s his second six.
This partnership has a masterclass in tempo and risk-management: 60 runs from the first 16 overs when the going was tough, 60 more from the last seven.
33rd over: India 199-2 (Kohli 56, Shreyas 62) South Africa chased 297 to beat the hosts India in the group stage of the 2011 World Cup. That was a much better pitch though.
Jansen bowls his first angst-free over of the innings; three singles from it.
“India are essentially trying to do an SA here,” writes Anul Kanhere. “Kohli will want to bat deep and there’s a maverick in SKY coming.”
32nd over: India 196-2 (Kohli 55, Shreyas 60) The occasional offspinner Aiden Markram replaces Shamsi. Two runs, one wide, drinks. India are miles ahead of the game here.
“Ah, Aravinda,” says Mark Beadle. “I was lucky enough to see his century for Kent in a one-day final against Lancs. Back in the day when those things actually meant something.”
That innings almost reduced me to tears, and I was only following it on the radio while on the lash in Bournemouth. Goodness knows what it must have been like to see live.
31st over: India 193-2 (Kohli 54, Shreyas 59) The new bowler Jansen is splattered over mid-off for four by Shreyas, which takes him to an extremely good half-century from 64 balls. He took a long time to get his eye in, making 12 from the first 35 deliveries; it was like watching Michael Bevan. Once you promise you have to pay, and Shreyas did just that: the next 39 runs came from 29 balls.
India’s pre-emptive strike on Marco Jansen, who is such a threat when his tail is up, has been exemplary. Shreyas clatters two more boundaries, one through extra cover and the other pulled to deep midwicket. Two wides complete a desperate over for Jansen, whose five overs have disappeared for 57. That last boundary also brings up a masterful century partnership from 129 balls.
“Aravinda de Silva rightly made it into John Woodcock’s ‘100 Greatest Cricketers’ (1998), still peerless in its knowledge, discernment and wit,” says Darryl Accone. “De Silva’s calm, perfectly paced century in the 1996 World Cup final against Australia remains one of the best innings I have seen. (Disclosure: on television; live has to be any number of hundreds by Barry Richards.) You are right that De Silva is somewhat neglected and undervalued.”
Hang on, I want to hear about your favourite Barry Richards hundred. As well as being a strong contender for an All-Time World XI, he’s a fascinating character. There was a great picture in the Cricketer recently, taken after he scored 325 not out in a day against Dennis Lillee and friends; Richards is walking off the field and he looks melancholy. In fact, I think this is it. Maybe it’s just exhaustion and I’m reading too much into it, but it feels like a snapshot of tortured genius.
30th over: India 179-2 (Kohli 54, Shreyas 47) Shreyas pulls Shamsi viciously for four to move into the forties. He would have made it back-to-back boundaries but for an admirable stop on the boundary by Jansen. Unlike Maharaj, against whom no risks were taken, Kohli and Shreyas are playing Shamsi with increasing ease: his last 19 balls have gone for 31. I’d be tempted to save his last four overs for when a new batsman comes in.
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29th over: India 170-2 (Kohli 53, Shreyas 39) The birthday boy drives Maharaj for a single to reach a calm, intelligent half-century from 67 balls. He started in fourth gear, lashing 18 from 14 balls in the Powerplay, then changed his approach completely against the spinners.
By soaking up the pressure, he and Shreyas Iyer have put India on course for a matchwinning total. Maharaj ends a fine, boundaryless spell with figures of 10-0-30-1. But as well as he bowled, South Africa needed another wicket or two from him.
28th over: India 163-2 (Kohli 49, Shreyas 36) Yeeha! Shreyas Iyer pumps Shamsi down the ground for a big six, his first of the day. Later in the over he flicks in the air but well wide of square leg for a single, and India steal a bonus run when Klaasen’s throw deflects off the stumps.
It takes nerve, and trust in your talent, to start as slowly as Shreyas did today: 12 from the first 35 balls, 24 from the last 19. India have such a smart batting line-up.
27th over: India 153-2 (Kohli 48, Shreyas 27) “If India get 300, it’s game over,” says Ricky Ponting. There’s a strangled LBW shout from Maharaj when Kohli plays around a ball that would have missed leg. He continues to toy with Kohli, whose only ambition is to get him out of there. That job is almost done.
“This is top-class bowling from South Africa,” writes Shashank Yeleswarapu. “As an Indian fan however, I can only imagine how much Jadeja and Kuldeep are salivating... Assuming of course that India post a competitive total on this pitch.”
Given how well they’re bowling, they may already have done so. Nothing is what it seems in this tournament – I gave Pakistan a 0.00 per cent chance yesterday – but my instinct is that India are in a strong position.
26th over: India 151-2 (Kohli 47, Shreyas 26) The amount of turn means Shamsi is bowling a few wide – four in as many overs now. He has also been much easier to milk than Maharaj; in fact Shamsi has conceded more runs in four overs (24) than Maharaj has in eight (21).
“Morning Rob, and happy birthday Mr Kohli and Mr Starbuck,” writes Simon McMahon. “ I’ll resist the urge to mention fireworks. Sharing your birthday with a legend of the game must feel pretty cool though. If I ever meet Virat I’ll be sure to ask him.”
25th over: India 143-2 (Kohli 42, Shreyas 24) Dinesh Karthik, commentating on TV, thinks 250-260 would be a very competitive total on this pitch. That early assault from Rohit looks increasingly valuable. South Africa would love another specialist spinner, though they do have Aiden Markram’s occasional offies.
Shreyas squirts Maharaj for a single to bring up a vigilant fifty partnership from 87 balls. That looks slow but in context it feels very well judged – especially as Maharaj now has only two overs remaining.
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24th over: India 141-2 (Kohli 41, Shreyas 23) Shreyas plays his first really big shot, using his wrists to launch Shamsi over wide mid-off for four. That’s only the third boundary since the Powerplay, and one of those was wrongly awarded.
23rd over: India 134-2 (Kohli 40, Shreyas 18) I may have missed something but I can’t recall a single big shot off Maharaj in seven overs. All 19 runs off him have been low-risk singles.
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22nd over: India 133-2 (Kohli 40, Shreyas 17) That’s a disgraceful shot from Shreyas Iyer. When I say disgraceful, I really mean mind-blowing in its audacity. After 35 balls without a boundary, he walks across and takes Shamsi off leg stump for four. That doesn’t begin to do it justice – the shot was so late that the ball was almost behind him.
It was originally given as byes before the umpire changed his mind after a wide-eyed appeal from Kohli. Ah, the plot thickens: replays show Iyer didn’t hit the ball.
I’m sticking to my story. The shot was still mind-blowing in its audacity; he just didn’t connect with it.
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21st over: India 127-2 (Kohli 39, Shreyas 12) Maharaj is bowling so beautifully, with figures of 6-0-18-1. I suspect India’s assessment of a winning score is getting lower with each passing over. This isn’t an easy pitch at all.
REVIEW! India 124-2 (Kohli not out 37)
Wild cheers in Kolkata as Virat Kohli survives a South African review for caught behind. He pushed defensively at a snorter from Maharaj, and South Africa were convinced there was a thin edge through to de Kock. They reviewed without discussion, but there was nothing on UltraEdge. Kohli survives.
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20th over: India 124-2 (Kohli 37, Shreyas 11) The left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi replaces Ngidi, whose second spell was much quieter: 2-0-9-0. Spin will probably decide this game, so Shamsi’s 10 overs are vitally important.
Yeah, spin will decide the game all right. Kohli is dropped, a tough leg-side chance to de Kock, and then gets a loopy leading edge that teases Shamsi before landing safely. There were a couple of leg-side wides in the over but that aside it was a very encouraging start.
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19th over: India 121-2 (Kohli 36, Shreyas 11) Maharaj draws another leading edge from Kohli that rolls into the off side for a single. He’s bowling with a lovely flight and confidence, Kohli and Shreyas haven’t felt secure enough to try even one big shot. Kuldeep and Jadeja are going to love bowling on this.
“Reg: Aravinda’s innings in the 1996 semi-final, most people in India and SL rate it very highly,” writes Anand. “As it wasn’t a hundred or close to it, might have gone under the radar for folks from other countries. Amazing counter attack and he changed the momentum after the early loss of openers. It is what the new breed of cricket data folks might call ‘a high impact innings’ and assign a number with two decimal places.”
Haha. That’s a good point about people from other countries – I was invested in Aravinda because of his wonderful, slightly heartbreaking season for my county, Kent, in 1995.
18th over: India 118-2 (Kohli 34, Shreyas 10) Kohli is beaten by a wide cutter from Ngidi. The next ball, even wider, is bottom-edged fine for four; that’s the first boundary since the Powerplay. It’s almost as if Ricky Ponting is one of the best analysts in the whole wide world.
“If South Africa were to win this, would it be the first time that a nation has been world champions in both cricket and rugby?” asks Jeremy Boyce, who can’t have been living in Australia in 199. “Either way, South Africa (and even more so Australia) achieve very high levels of success in a wide range of sports given their population size. India’s case is different. Their population is obviously many times that of SA and Aus combined, cricket is their No 1 sport by a very big distance and they are playing at home in front of their devoted following. That would make an SA (or Aus) win even more impressive.”
It would, although I do think India deserve a bit more acclaim for the quality of their performances so far. They’ve played some truly awesome cricket. As England know from 2019, it’s not easy being the hosts and the favourites. They won it in the end, but had India reviewed a caught behind when Jason Roy was on 21 at Edgbaston, they might have gone out in the group stage. That would have been an even bigger humiliation than this tournament. The margins are usually so fine, yet India have won all seven games handsomely.
17th over: India 111-2 (Kohli 27, Shreyas 10) Maharaj gets through his overs so quickly, usually while I’m trying to process an email, that I sometimes have no idea what happened. There were four singles from that over, I know that much. His figures are 4-0-12-1. There’s still a bit of turn, though nothing as extravagant as the Gill dismissal.
“Good morning Rob,” says Krishnamoorthy V. “Lose a World Cup final on boundary count. Lose a key match on DLS after scoring 401 due to DLS. Kane Williamson makes Odysseus look rich.”
He also makes Buddha look like a moaner. The man’s dignity is even more remarkable than his beard.
16th over: India 107-2 (Kohli 25, Shreyas 8) Ngidi replaces Rabada, who bowled a rot-stopping spell of 5-1-19-1. You’d expect his variations to be more effective as the ball gets older.
Two runs from another quiet over, and that’s drinks. It feels like this pair are still getting the measure of the pitch and trying to assess what would be a decent score. Kohli has 25 from 26 balls, mainly because of his fast start, and Shreyas 8 from 22.
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15th over: India 105-2 (Kohli 24, Shreyas 7) “People of a certain vintage in India still remember the horrors of that 1996 semi-final at the Eden Gardens,” writes Anand. “That Gill dismissal took me right back to that evening, where I was watching the game and preparing for the Indian equivalent of O-levels. Luckily, I fared a bit better than India.”
I should hope so. You seem a lovely chap so I’d have been pretty disappointed if you had started a riot just because you didn’t like one of the question. Actually, looking at the scorecard (link above) again reminded of another classic innings from Aravinda de Silva: 66 from 47 balls, having arrived with Sri Lanka 1/2. He’s a little underrated historically, I think.
14th over: India 103-2 (Kohli 23, Shreyas 6) Kohli takes a single off Rabada to bring up the Indian hundred in just 79 balls. The South Africa fightback continues with another quiet over on a pitch that looks increasingly awkward. Ricky Ponting who couldn’t get the phrase “new-ball wicket” out of his mouth fast enough during the pitch inspections, knows of what he speaks.
13th over: India 99-2 (Kohli 21, Shreyas 4) Apparently Maharaj has a statgasmically good record against Kohli in ODIs, mainly in terms of economy rate. According to Cricinfo it’s 38 runs and two wickets from 62 balls, though I’m sure Mark Nicholas said there had only been four or five scoring strokes. SOMEBODY OUT THERE IS PEDDLING FALSE STATISTICAL INFORMATION.
Whatever the history, Maharaj will demand respect after that ball to Gill. Kohli gets a leading edge that lands safely on the off side; the rest of the over is played watchfully.
12th over: India 96-2 (Kohli 19, Shreyas 3) More good work from Rabada, who bowls five dot balls in six to thew new batter Shreyas Iyer.
“It’s my birthday too, though more than twice Rohit’s new age,” writes John Starbuck, rather reinforcing the point about his age by identifying the wrong birthday boy (it’s Kohli rather than Rohit). “As we’re dining out for luncheon, I shall have to catch up with this match via the matchless(?) OBO.”
Matchless? So your judgement has gone as well? I jest – many happy returns to a beloved OBO regular.
11th over: India 94-2 (Kohli 19, Shreyas 1) This is a good comeback from South Africa, who were looking down a dark, unforgiving barrel when India were 61/0 after five overs.
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WICKET! India 93-2 (Gill b Maharaj 23)
Spin spin sugar: Shubman Gill has been bowled by a stunning delivery from the new bowler Keshav Maharaj. It curved onto leg stump and spat viciously to beat Gill’s attempted flick and hit the top of off and middle. Gill was beaten so emphatically that he almost fell over. “Bishan Bedi would have been proud of that one,” says Mark Nicholas on commentary. It’s one of the balls of the tournament.
Gill stayed around while they made sure it had hit the stumps and not been deflected back onto them by Quinton de Kock. Replays showed it hit the top of the bails, so Gill goes for a 24-ball 23. That’s a good wicket for South Africa – but also, given they are batting last, a pretty ominous one.
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10th over: India 91-1 (Gill 23, Kohli 18) Now it’s Rabada’s turn to suffer as Kohli hits successive boundaries with a lofted drive to the left of mid-off and a textbook on-drive. That was a Powerplay in name and nature from India: only Sri Lanka (94/2) have scored against South Africa in this World Cup.
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9th over: India 82-1 (Gill 23, Kohli 9) Too short from Jansen, and Gill does the necessary through midwicket. He then takes a very sharp single to Bavuma at mid-off. The throw missed the stumps but I suspect Gill would have been just home.
Kohli continues the calculated assault on Jansen with a flick up and over midwicket for four. Jansen’s figures probably shouldn’t be published before the watershed: 4-0-43-0.
“Rohit seemed to be having a net at the Eden Gardens,” says Anand. “Ridiculous how easy he makes batting look and then gets... OUT! On a different note, why aren’t you on Twitter/X yet?”
It’s not really for me, though there is a Twitter account for a football (and occasionally cricket) podcast I sometimes do: @nessundormapod.
8th over: India 72-1 (Gill 18, Kohli 4) Another terrific over from Rabada. Kohli is beaten three times outside off stump and almost drags a defensive stroke onto the stumps. Inbetween he gets off the mark with a pristine cover drive for four, but there’s no doubt Rabada has had the better of the contest. So far.
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7th over: India 68-1 (Gill 18, Kohli 0) It’s worth a reminder of South Africa’s preference for batting first. This year they’ve won ten and lost one when doing so, as compared to four wins and four defeats when chasing. The problem for the rest of the world is that India can do it either way: in 2023 they are 10-2 batting first, 12-3 fielding first.
Jansen changes ends to replace Ngidi (3-0-34-0). After three dot balls, Gill runs down the track to wallop six over long on. There wasn’t much wrong with that delivery, and in fact those are the only runs from a pretty decent over.
6th over: India 62-1 (Gill 12, Kohli 0) The new batter is Virat Kohli, 35 today. That’s a fine start from Rabada: one over, one leg bye, one wicket. Who says it’s the loneliest number?
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WICKET! India 62-1 (Rohit c Bavuma b Rabada 40)
Marco Jansen, such a danger in the Powerplay, has been bullied out of the attack after just two overs. Kagiso Rabada replaces him – and strikes with his fifth ball. Rohit, trying to dominate, smashed him towards mid-off, where Bavuma crouched to take a very sharp catch. My word South Africa needed that.
Rohit goes after another tone-setting cameo, 40 from 24 balls this time. He’s usually the man for an ODI century but in this tournament he has played a slightly different role.
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5th over: India 61-0 (Rohit 40, Gill 12) Rohit belts an Ngidi full toss over midwicket for the ninth four in the last 23 deliveries, then lifts the first six into the crowd at backward square leg. It was a wretched delivery, outside leg stump, but Rohit couldn’t have timed it better in a computer game.
Awp, there’s six more, hoicked off a length over square leg. Rohit has 40 from 22 balls, and the last four overs have disappeared for 56. Even by India’s standards, this is awesome.
4th over: India 45-0 (Rohit 24, Gill 12) Ricky Ponting said firmly that the Powerplay would be the best time to bat. The man knows his cricket. Rohit pulls and drags Jansen for four, either side of another wide. And then, as if to show the game is being played on his terms, he plays an immaculate forward defensive.
That might have been the penultimate delivery of Rohit’s innings. He threw everything at a wide delivery and sliced it down to third man, where Shamsi couldn’t take a very difficult low chance. The ball came to him almost on the half volley.
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3rd over: India 35-0 (Rohit 15, Gill 12) Yeah, India will bat first all right. Rohit leathers Ngidi for successive boundaries over point and through extra cover, then Gill joins in with a wristy clip through midwicket. That’s a gorgeous shot. Gill has only faced seven balls but he looks in exquisite touch. Thirteen from the over.
2nd over: India 22-0 (Rohit 6, Gill 8) Marco Jansen, the Powerplay specialist, shares the new ball. He’s taken 12 wickets in the first 10 overs at this World Cup; only Dilshan Madushanka (7) has half as many.
After that build-up, Jansen starts with an angst-ridden 10-ball over. He bowls three consecutive wides – two on the leg side, one of which flies for four, and another outside off stump. Gill waves a dreamy cover drive for four; then, after another wide, he flicks a very good inswinger through midwicket for four more. Seventeen from the over.
“Morning Rob, morning all,” writes Deepak Puri. “I’m on the sofa with an unlimited supply of tea and half a packet of generic custard creams. Let’s get ready to rumba. Or rumble. Or whatever.”
You’re settling down for an eight-hour game with half a packet of custard creams? I’d have polished them off in the course of that Jansen over.
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1st over: India 5-0 (Rohit 5, Gill 0) An interesting first over, with plenty of movement and bounce for Ngidi. Rohit drives a dazzling boundary over extra cover and then edges a lifter through the vacant gully region at catchable height.
“Great match today, hope it is exciting and doesn’t fizzle out soon,” writes Anand. “Regarding the toss, a case can be made for India to bat or bowl. Bowl first to assess how they can counter SA who score 350 consistently and not to give them a chance to chase. As someone who is worried India is winning everything, I think India have gotten the best of everything this match and will be lulled into a false sense of security come the knockout stages.”
I know what you mean but the best way to undermine South Africa ahead of a potential final is surely to hammer them here. You probably know more than me on this subject, but I’d be very surprised if a team managed by Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma allowed themselves to be lulled into a false sense of security.
I think India’s biggest threat is doubt caused by their weirdly poor record in ICC knockout games. If they are batting first against, say, Australia in a semi-final and are reduced to 30 for two, the mind could start to play tricks.
Lungi Ngidi has a new ball, Rohit Sharma is holding a bat. Shall we?
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“Morning Rob, morning all,” writes Em Jackson. “My two rupees (or rand): all India and RSA will want to do is walk away from this game with no back spasms for De Kock, no broken fingers for Kohli and broken toes for Bumrah & Rabada.
“No one wants to see injuries fell the two best sides so far in a dead rubber after all (but a crisis could well bring opportunity for someone). Mind you, Dharamshala aside, is there any greater ground to play a dead rubber than Eden Gardens, Kolkata? Admittedly, that may well be my Knight Riders bias showing there a little.”
I’ll see your Eden Gardens and raise you the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Queenstown, New Zealand.
The pitch
Ricky Ponting thinks that, independent of the psychology, batting first is a significant advantage for India on a dry, used pitch that should take spin. Ponting also reckons the easiest time to score runs will be against the new balls.
Team news
India are unchanged. South Africa bring in another spinner: Tabraiz Shamsi for Gerald Coetzee.
India Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
South Africa de Kock (wk), Bavuma (c), van der Dussen, Markram, Klaasen, Miller, Jansen, Maharaj, Rabada, Ngidi, Shamsi.
India win the toss and bat
“It’s not about the pitch but what we want to do as a team,” says the captain Rohit Sharma, which loosely translates as “These buggers score 350+ every time somebody puts them in, do you think I came into this life yesterday?”
“Looking at the wicket, we would have batted first,” says the South African captain Temba Bavuma, which loosely translates as “We’d probably have batted first at Johannesburg in 1999”.
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Ali Martin’s World Cup diary
Preamble
Good morning. Let’s start with a paradox: the first dead rubber of the 2023 World Cup is also one of its most keenly anticipated games. India and South Africa have already qualified for semi-finals, which is precisely why this game is so mouthwatering. They have been the two best teams in the tournament, monstrously impressive in different ways. Now, on the 32nd day of the World Cup, they get to test one another’s mettle.
This might a dead rubber in terms of qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-finals, but that doesn’t mean it’s without practical significance. The winner (almost certainly) will top the league table and the loser (probably) will face Australia in the semi-finals. While neither team will fear the Aussies, the alternative is probably preferable.
Today’s game won’t decide who wins the World Cup, but it might give us a big fat clue – especially as there’s every chance India and South Africa will meet again in the final. It’s a fine day to put down a marker.
The match begins at 8.30am UK time, 2pm in Kolkata.
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