"They might be extremely nervous and tentative when they come back to the Eden Gardens" - Gautam Gambhir criticizes South Africa's batting
Gautam Gambhir reckons the South African batters might be extremely nervous and tentative if they get to play their 2023 World Cup semi-final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
India set the Proteas a 327-run target at the iconic venue on Sunday, November 5. Temba Bavuma and company were then bundled out for 83 to lose the game by a whopping margin of 243 runs.
Reviewing the game on Star Sports, Gambhir opined that South Africa might be wary of playing their semi-final in Kolkata. He elaborated:
"The way South Africa got exposed today, I believe they weren't exposed in this match only, it would have put a huge dent for the upcoming matches as well. If your semi-final is at the Eden, the conditions won't change too much. I believe they might be extremely nervous and tentative when they come back to the Eden Gardens."
The former India opener pointed out that the pitch did not hold any demons. He said:
"After looking at the scorecard, if someone tells me that it was an unplayable or turning track - not at all, because the ball didn't turn much. It shows that high-quality bowling can expose any batting unit."
None of the South African players could score even 15 runs. Marco Jansen (14) was their top run-getter, with only three other batters reaching double digits.
"If you don't have any answer against high-quality bowling, it could be difficult for you going forward" - Gautam Gambhir
![Ravindra Jadeja picked up a five-wicket haul against South Africa. [P/C: AP]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/adcc5-16992571179366-1920.jpg?w=500)
Gautam Gambhir feels South Africa's performance was unbecoming of a contender for the title. He stated:
"If you don't have any answer against high-quality bowling, it could be difficult for you going forward. The real world champion will be the one who gives good performances in every condition and situation."
Gambhir added that the Proteas surrendered against Ravindra Jadeja on a pitch that wasn't a rank turner. He observed:
"If you see South Africa's performance before this match, they scored 400 runs at the Wankhede and 350-400 in Delhi, but the real challenge was today. If you talk about Jadeja, he picked up five wickets, and there wasn't even a single delivery that turned square."
South Africa will play their semi-final in Kolkata unless either they or Pakistan finish fourth after the league phase. India, who are assured a top-of-the-table finish, will play their semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai unless they lock horns with the Men in Green.