Super Sixes SRL | IND vs SA Evaluation Chart - Rohit Sharma and bowlers take India all the way

BySritama Panda, SportsCafe Editor

05/17/2020

India, with the help of a thunderous knock by Rohit Sharma and a great show of bowling, were able to hand a big defeat, of six wickets, to South Africa. The Proteas struggled from the start of their innings and were treated with regular dismissals, as they were only able to set a target of 120.

Match Review

After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, India bowled superbly well throughout the first innings powered, thanks to the bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah. Wickets tumbled down quickly for South Africa and even though Temba Bavuma tried to stay still in the midst of the massacre, he was dismissed by Bumrah in the 11th over and it was only because of a last-minute show by Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo that the Proteas posted a total of 119/8 on the board.

In reciprocation to the target of 120, India answered with utmost confidence and swiftness right from the start. They were always in the game and the competition remained one-sided till the end as the bowlers passed the baton to the batsmen. Opener Rohit Sharma was right on point with the chase and remained unbeaten on 82 off 48 in the end and got a little help from Shreyas Iyer at a later point in the chase.

You can check out the scorecard and Match Tracker here.

Turning Point

To me, the turning point of the game was David Miller’s dismissal in the ninth over of South Africa’s innings. Until that point, the Proteas had already lost three wickets in the form of Quinton de Kock, Henrich Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen. However, as Miller and Bavuma started to build a partnership post the fifth over, it seemed like some damage control. But alas, Miller’s dismissal turned the game around totally into India’s favour.

Highs and Lows

I believe the high of the game was the fifth over in India’s innings wherein South Africa, with the help of Imran Tahir, were able to dismiss opener KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, both, as that meant some balance in the game. However, that didn’t do anything to stop Rohit Sharma who was already on fire in the chase.

According to me, the low of this game was South Africa’s top order batting performance which led to the game being subpar as far as the competition was concerned. Within the first nine overs, South Africa had lost the top four wickets while adding only 32 runs and that led to the team’s eventual defeat.

Rating Charts

Powerplay exploitation: - South Africa (3/10) and India (5/10)

At the end of the Powerplay, South Africa were struggling on 23/2 as Quinton de Kock and Henrich Klaasen were already sent packing. Despite a fairly good fifth over, bowled by Shardul Thakur, in which 12 runs were squeezed out, South Africa lost Klassen and all in all, the Powerplay was dominated by Indian pacers and the batsmen couldn’t do much about it.

On the other hand, at the end of the Powerplay, India looked only a bit more comfortable in the chase having 34/2 on the board. But it didn't do any good, especially with them having lost KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, both, in the fifth over. However, with Rohit Sharma looking in good touch, India were still in the game.

Middle overs:- South Africa (5/10) and India (9/10)

South Africa’s middle-overs batting was almost as weak as their performance in the first six overs. As wickets kept tumbling down for the Proteas, Temba Bavuma struggled to stay in the middle and was finally dismissed in the 11th over, by Bumrah, for a 29-ball 25. The only sign of good for South Africa was some sparling shots from Dwaine Pretorious and Andile Phehlukwayo. They added 13 runs in the 15th over, putting the team’s score at 75/5 at the end of 15 overs.

On the other hand, India went on full fire in the chase carved out by Rohit Sharma without the help of any strong partnership. In fact, as Kohli and Rahul struggled on the day, Sharma displayed his heroics, punishing all South Africa bowlers that came in his way. In fact, at the end of 15 overs, India were on 108/4, which was just 11 runs away from the target. The game was won for India right there in the middle overs.

Death Bowling: - India (7/10) and South Africa (N/A)

At the end of the 15th over, South Africa were struggling on 75 for the loss of five wickets. The bowlers were right on track of destroying the Proteas, and they did. Even though Pretorius and Phehlukwayo fired some and South Africa were able to add 44 runs in the final five overs, the Indian bowlers also bagged three wickets in that span.

Meanwhile, South Africa didn’t have much to do in the death bowling department as only 11 runs were required off the final five overs and the deal was done in the next seven deliveries.

Match Frenzy O Meter - Poor

It was a fairly one-sided competition between India and South Africa, as the former won the game comfortably by six wickets and 23 balls remaining. Even though there was some resistance shown by the South African bowlers in the Powerplay of India’s innings, it was India all the way throughout the rest of the game.