Cricket is a game of great uncertainty! I woke up and was shocked to see the score. South Africa is out of the World Cup without being able to chase 159 runs against the Netherlands!
In the beginning, I thought, what am I seeing right? A team with so many matchwinners, everyone in such a good rhythm, how can they lose against the Netherlands? It was hard to believe. But one more piece of news lightened my mind. South Africa lost to Zimbabwe before India’s road to the last four was paved. So saw a pressure-free Indian team against Craig Irvine.
Why will India be under pressure? A cricketer like Suryakumar Yadav has made the team stronger. Every team has to think about how to score quick runs in the middle overs. Surya has removed that thought of the Indian team. Batting first against Zimbabwe, when India was 87-2 in 11.5 overs, Surya came out to bat. India reached 186-5 from 61 runs off just 25 balls.No bowler can be prepared for the kind of shots he is playing. What fielding arrangements will be made to prevent scoop shots? If the fielder is placed in the fine leg region, the four is hit through the square leg region. Zimbabwe had no answer to stop Suryakumar’s rampage. Yuvraj Singh did this in 2007. And India was never put under pressure throughout the World Cup because of their quick runs. I can see that shadow in the bat of the sun again.
Suryakumar’s greatest strength, and spoils the bowler’s space. The bowler thought of something and said. He has the power to destroy that plan. Because he can also scoop the ball outside the off stump and hit the leg stump for four. Mumbai batsmen usually bat according to cricket grammar. Because, from childhood, they have to play on very fast wickets. I don’t know how the batter made on that pitch can scoop the pacer. Suryakumar is the current Mr. 360-degree star of the cricket world.
India’s bowling though impressed me the most. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arashdeep Singh’s swing is the Indian bowling weapon in the last four. Wesley Madhivere went back to hit a cover drive off Bhuvneshwar’s swing on the first ball. Virat Kohli took an amazing catch. Arshdeep’s outswing (inswing in the case of the right-hander) was knocked off the stumps by Regis Chakva’s pad. A swing like this can catch any opponent off guard in the powerplay. England’s team is also dependent on top-order batting.
Luck is most needed to win the World Cup. Which is now supporting Pakistan. Before South Africa batted, Baba Azam could not have imagined that they would virtually play a quarter-final match against Bangladesh. They got even hotter when the Netherlands won.
