3 things India need to do right to defeat South Africa in their 2023 World Cup clash
Labeled as the game of the tournament thus far, table-toppers India take on second-placed South Africa in a mouthwatering clash at the iconic Eden Garden in Kolkata on November 5.
While Team India have won all seven games and became the first side to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup, the Proteas followed suit by booking their place for the knockouts after winning six of their seven outings. Despite the qualification, the match holds tremendous significance as the winner will likely finish on top of the points table and face the fourth-placed side in the semi-final.
As far as ODI World Cup meetings are concerned, the Proteas hold a slender edge of 3-2 over the two-time world champions. However, the Men in Blue have emerged victorious in their last two 50-over World Cup meetings in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
Both teams boast several names in the top 10 wicket-takers and run-scorers charts, setting up numerous exciting individual matchups.
India will do well to remember their lone slip-up in the fag end of the league stage of the 2019 World Cup against eventual champions England. The loss seemed to have a damaging effect on their morale in the semi-final defeat against New Zealand.
To avoid a repeat of that debacle, Rohit Sharma and company will look to keep their unbeaten streak going and overhaul the South African juggernaut.
With that in mind, here are three things India must do right to defeat the Proteas in this all-important 2023 World Cup clash.
#1 India must dismiss the head of the snake, Quinton de Kock, cheaply
To say Quinton de Kock has been the batter of the 2023 World Cup would be an understatement, given his incredible exploits opening the batting for South Africa.
The 30-year-old has made his farewell tournament one for the ages, scoring four centuries in seven games. De Kock is the leading run-scorer with 545 runs at a remarkable average of almost 78 and a strike rate over 112.
Further highlighting the importance of the southpaw to South Africa's success is the fact that the Proteas have comfortably won on all four instances of him reaching three figures. It is also unique that De Kock hasn't crossed 30 in the three outings where he hasn't notched up a ton.
Their lone defeat against the Netherlands saw the swashbuckling batter score only 20, and in their near loss to Pakistan, De Kock managed a mere 24.
The champion batter has also historically been a nemesis for Team India in ODIs, with an excellent average of 56.42 and six centuries in 19 outings. However, a staggering revelation is his impact on winning against the Men in Blue, with an average of over 84 in victories and less than 22 in losses.
The battle between Jasprit Bumrah and Quinton de Kock could decide the game's outcome, as the right-arm pacer is among the few who has kept De Kock quiet in ODIs. Apart from dismissing him twice, with the batter averaging only 32.5 in their ODI meetings, De Kock scores at a strike rate of less than 60 against India's spearhead.
Removing De Kock would also help India bowl left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, considering they will be fielding just the five specialist bowlers. Hence, if it means bowling Bumrah for an extended spell, Rohit Sharma will have to roll the dice to ensure the South African star is out of the equation inside the powerplay.
#2 Indian openers must ensure Marco Jansen goes wicketless with the new ball
Amidst all the carnage from the South African batters, one man who has silently stood tall, literally and figuratively, is left-arm pacer Marco Jansen.
While his overall figures make for impressive reading, with 16 wickets in seven games that make him the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, the 23-year-old has made the ball talk in the first powerplay. Jansen has picked up 12 of his 16 scalps during that period, often removing the opposition's best batters in the top order.
It is a no-brainer that Team India rely heavily on their top three - Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli - for the bulk of their scoring in the 50-over format. While Gill has been arguably the ODI batter of the year, Kohli and Rohit are third and fifth respectively in the leading run-scorers chart of the World Cup with over 400 runs each.
Despite their incredible overall record and brilliant current form, Rohit and Virat have shown a tendency to struggle against left-arm pacers. Jasen not only fits that mold but is also renowned for his ability to get steep bounce from a good length, forcing batters to be in two minds on coming forward or staying back.
Should the Indian batters negotiate Jansen's new-ball spell without losing a wicket, Temba Bavuma will be in uncharted territory, with the other bowlers not having the luxury of the opposition being two or three down thanks to Jansen's brilliance.
While the youngster hasn't picked up a single wicket in his two ODI clashes against India, he was instrumental in South Africa defeating the Asian giants in the Test series at home in 2021. Jansen picked up 19 wickets in three matches at a sensational average of 16.47.
It will not be an overstatement to say the Indian openers seeing off Marco Jansen's new-ball spell could be the difference between a massive total and one that is below par.
#3 Kuldeep Yadav must be used smartly against the South African middle order
While Quinton de Kock has hogged the limelight for his other-worldly batting exploits, South Africa have also been blessed with almost all their middle-order batters being in a rich vein of form.
Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram are in the top 10 of the run-scoring charts, with Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller providing scintillating finishes to the South African innings.
However, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has an excellent option in ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav to negate the threat of Markram and Miller. The former has especially been dismal against Kuldeep, averaging 5.30 at a strike rate of 40 and being dismissed thrice by the left-arm wrist-spinner in ODIs.
Though slightly better than Markram, Miller has also endured struggles against Kuldeep. He has an average of only 25.55 and a strike rate of less than 80, with two dismissals against the spinner in ODIs.
Hence, the tactic for India should be to bowl Bumrah for a prolonged spell against the top three and Heinrich Klaasen while saving Kuldeep specifically for Markram and the left-handed Miller in the middle and end overs.