Hungry SAfrica 'want more' after statement T20 win

Ahmedabad, Feb. 24: A hungry South Africa will "keep wanting more" after their statement victory over co-hosts India at the T20 World Cup earmarked Aiden Markram's side as serious title contenders.

India were swept aside by 76 runs as 80,000 fans in Ahmedabad were silenced on Sunday and their 12-match win streak at the T20 World Cup, stretching back to 2022, came to a crashing halt.

India, batting second for the first time in the tournament, collapsed to 111 all out in their Super Eights opener after South Africa posted 187-7.

David Miller showed India's much-vaunted line-up how to bat on a slow Ahmedabad pitch, building an innings after South Africa lost early wickets and were 20-3 in the power play.

Miller put on 97 for the fourth wicket with Dewald Brevis (45) on his way to 63 off 35 balls in a perfectly paced knock.

It set the platform for Tristan Stubbs to launch a late assault with 44 off 24 balls, including a crucial 20 from the final over.

Miller said that India's cloak of invincibility had been removed and now South Africa knew "that they are beatable".

"It wasn't easy. Playing against India is always really difficult and they've got some incredible team and players," Miller told reporters.

"For us in a tournament like this, it's about making sure that we do keep going back to the simple things, making sure that we stay in our lane as a player, get the job done and keep wanting more.

"We're a mature team. A lot of guys have played together and a lot of cricket for South Africa and that goes a long way under pressure," said Miller.

Quick bowler Marco Jansen took 4-22, ably supported by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (3-24) and fellow quick Lungi Ngidi (0-15) in a rematch of the 2024 final, won by India.

"Look I don't think anyone was thinking of revenge. It was a big game," Ngidi told reporters.

"But if we lift the trophy, that's proper revenge -- if you want to call it that.

"But tonight was just another game we needed to win to put ourselves in a better position to challenge for the trophy."

South Africa play the West Indies on Thursday in Ahmedabad where Markram's side could put one foot firmly in the semi-finals with another win.

India battle for survival

Defending T20 World Cup champions India need "two big performances" to reach the semi-finals after Sunday's huge defeat to South Africa, said their assistant coach.

The magnitude of the defeat has left India with a desperate net run-rate of -3.8 and likely needing to win their last two Super Eight matches convincingly to make it to the semi-finals.

Anything less and India will need to rely on a combination of other results going their way.

"Very disappointed in the performance," said Ryan ten Doeschate.

"When you set out to win a World Cup, don't expect someone to come and deliver it to you halfway through," the assistant coach added.

"We've messed up on a grand scale and now the onus is on this group of guys to turn it around and put in two solid performances."

India next face giant-killers Zimbabwe, who have already beaten Australia and Sri Lanka, on Thursday in Chennai.

'Cloak came off'

"Obviously with the way the group goes, you need at least four points to get through now, and it's going to need two big performances and a big bounce back from everyone," said Ten Doeschate.

India's fragile batting was exposed against an in-form bowling attack led by left-arm quick Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj. 

India's media tore into the team on Monday morning. "The night the cloak came off," blazed a headline in the Indian Express newspaper. 

"Sloppy India reach point of no return," said the Hindustan Times.

India's ultra-aggressive left-handed opening pair have failed to fire, leaving a shaky middle order to pick up the pieces.

Ishan Kishan was out without scoring to Markram on Sunday, while the world's top- ranked T20 batter Abhishek Sharma fell to Jansen for 15, his only runs of the tournament so far after three ducks.

"It's certainly not panic stations," said Ten Doeschate, who hinted there could be discussions about India's batting line-up.

"If those guys (Ahbishek and Ishan) bat for six overs, the score is going to be 70-plus," said Ten Doeschate.

"So can we get them to temper the way they're playing and be a little bit smarter? "Or do we just let them go on the way they are?

"Or do we bring in a right-hander at the top and make a change somewhere in the middle?"

Captain Suryakumar Yadav agreed India need to use their brains in the first six-over power play when only two fielders are allowed on the boundary.

"Chasing 180-185, you can't win the game in the power play, but you might lose it," he said after his side stumbled to 31-3 after six overs, which became 43-4 a few balls later and then 51-5.

"We lost too many wickets in the power play."

The 2024 champions also have the weight of history against them. No team has ever retained the T20 World Cup and no side have ever won the trophy on home soil. (AFP)