One bad night has pushed India to the edge but captain Suryakumar Yadav isn’t ready to panic. After India’s heavy 76-run defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad on February 22, the skipper made it clear that the team will not change its aggressive approach. According to him, the plan remains the same, play positive cricket and bounce back stronger.
South Africa had a shaky start, reduced to 20 for 3 inside four overs. But they recovered brilliantly to post 187 for 7 in their 20 overs. David Miller led the charge with a powerful 63 off 35 balls. Dewald Brevis contributed 45 off 29, while Tristan Stubbs remained unbeaten on 44. For India, Jasprit Bumrah impressed with 3 for 15 in four overs and Arshdeep Singh picked up 2 for 28.
Chasing 188, India’s reply fell apart quickly. They slipped to 51 for 5 and were eventually bowled out for 111 in 18.5 overs. Marco Jansen starred with the ball, taking 4 for 22. Keshav Maharaj claimed 3 for 24 and Corbin Bosch finished with 2 for 12. Shivam Dube fought hard with 42 off 37 balls but the target proved too steep.
Speaking after the match, Suryakumar Yadav said India started well with the ball and kept themselves in the contest at different stages. However, he admitted that losing too many wickets in the Powerplay during the chase made things difficult. He pointed out that in big run chases, you may not win the match in the first six overs but you can certainly lose it there. The team failed to build small partnerships, which hurt their chances.
Despite the setback, the captain remained calm. He said the team will reflect, learn and come back stronger, without changing their style of play.
The defeat has left India on the brink of elimination in the Super Eights. Another loss against either Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday or West Indies in Mumbai on March 1 would end their semi-final hopes.
When asked about changes, Suryakumar kept it light, saying the focus is simple, bat well, bowl well and field well. For him, the formula stays the same.
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