'Simply throwing the bat': Sunil Gavaskar tears into India after Super 8 collapse

Ahmedabad, Sunday night – A tournament that began with buoyant expectations for India has veered toward the precipice after a 76-run shellacking by South Africa in their Super 8 opener at the T20 World Cup. Set 187 for victory, the hosts were skittled inside the power surge, their chase unravelling from the moment Ishan Kishan nicked off for a golden duck in the first over. What followed was a procession: Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar all came and went with minimal imprint on the scoreboard. Dube’s 42 off 37 balls only served to highlight the inertia; the asking rate ballooned, and the innings folded meekly, leaving a stunned Narendra Modi Stadium in near silence.

Speaking to Star Sports after the carnage, Sunil Gavaskar did not mince words. “They were simply throwing the bat at just about everything,” the former India captain said, contrasting India’s cavalier methods with the composure shown by South Africa’s middle order. “Look at how Dewald Brevis and David Miller rebuilt. They played straight, targeted the ‘V’, recognised the surface was holding up, and adjusted. That was the template – not reckless cross-bat swipes.”

South Africa had themselves stared at crisis at 20 for three before Miller and Brevis collaborated on a match-turning stand. Once set, they accelerated, taking a heavy toll on Varun Chakaravarthy (1-47), Hardik Pandya (0-45) and Shivam Dube (1-32 in two overs). Shaun Pollock, analysing the contest, pointed to India’s rigidity. “South Africa had already played three games here; they understood the conditions. When the ball stopped, they adapted. India didn’t show that flexibility,” the Proteas great observed.

The thumping defeat has shoved India to the bottom of the Group 1 table with a net run rate of -3.800. To keep semi-final hopes alive, Suryakumar Yadav’s side must now beat Zimbabwe and the West Indies – and win handsomely – while results elsewhere break their way. The equation is stark, the margin for error nil.