In a World Cup clash at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, South Africa delivered a crushing blow to Australia, securing a resounding 134-run win. This victory marked Australia’s most significant defeat in the ODI World Cup.
Prior to the match, Australian skipper Pat Cummins had drawn parallels between the two teams, but the on-field performance showcased stark differences. South Africa’s dominance was evident as they mauled the five-time champions.
The match presented an element of uncertainty for both sides as the pitch at the venue had been recently re-laid. However, it was the Australian team that appeared to struggle more as their batting lineup faltered against a combination of pace and spin on an unpredictable pitch. South Africa continued to impress with their batting, led by opener Quinton de Kock, who scored a splendid century (109 runs off 106 balls, including 8 fours and 5 sixes).
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The match was not without controversy, as Steven Smith and Marcus Stoinis faced questionable decisions by the third umpire during reviews. Smith was dismayed to see the ball tracking system indicating that the ball was hitting the leg-stump, while Stoinis believed he had gloved the ball when his hand was off the bat handle.
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Despite Smith’s valiant efforts, including back-to-back fours off Kagiso Rabada, and a partnership between Marnus Labuschagne (46 runs off 74 balls, including 3 fours) and Mitchell Starc, the Australian team could not mount a successful chase of the 312-run target. When Labuschagne and Starc joined forces with the team’s score at 70 for six, their collaboration only delayed the inevitable defeat.
South Africa’s early batting display, led by Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram (56 runs off 44 balls, including 7 fours and 1 six), had given their supporters much to celebrate. De Kock’s innings featured an array of shots, including flicked sixes, late cuts, square drives, and even reverse-sweeps.
Despite the sparse crowd’s initial excitement, the occasional cheers gave way to groans as Australia struggled. The match was characterized by Australia’s poor fielding performance, marked by five dropped catches.
While Australia’s pacers, especially Mitchell Starc, managed to regain some control in the later stages of the match by using short-pitched deliveries and slower balls, South Africa had already posted a formidable total that proved too challenging for Australia to chase.
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