Image Credit- AFP
Prior to today, Arshdeep Singh has not claimed an ODI
wicket in three games. He currently has five.
On Pink Day, India’s devastating new-ball burst of 4
for 23 in seven overs drained South Africa of their colour and shown that they
could still mount a formidable attack without Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah,
and Mohammed Siraj. The South African lineup, which was missing Quinton de Kock
and Temba Bavuma, did not appear to have the same depth and were just as
foolish as they had at Eden Gardens a little over a month prior. India then
dismissed them for 83, their lowest score in an ODI World Cup. They were expelled
for their lowest score at home, 116, today. Additionally, it was their
ninth-lowest ODI total ever.
Three of those nine have come at the hands of India,
which speaks as much about the quicks’ abilities as it does about the batting
issues facing South Africa, whose inability to move the ball forward was
evident throughout this match. Nine of South Africa’s ten wickets were claimed
by Arshdeep and Avesh Khan, who also claimed the first eight in 17 overs. Their
discipline was the most impressive aspect of their bowling, however they did
get a surprising amount of movement on a worn surface. They mostly let the
pitch take care of the rest, rarely straying from a decent length outside off.
“The plan was to just keep it simple, hit good
areas, extract some bounce and look for a little movement off the seam,”
Arshdeep said at the post-match conference. “We knew if we could get
movement inside or outside of the bat, we could get nicks or lbws. That was the
plan: to keep it simple and challenge the batters to score off tough
balls.”
When Hendricks managed to get a ball to shape between
his body and bat and take the inside edge en route to the stumps, Arshdeep
removed him from the game. Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen were also
taken out by the inward movement, and by the end of the first powerplay, South
Africa was 52 for 4, well short of the total India had predicted when they made
their pre-game plans.
Prior to today, Arshdeep had not bowled his entire
allotted ten overs in an ODI. Furthermore, it did not appear as though he would
leave the pitch after his opening spell. He was suffering in what can feel like
considerably hotter temperatures, even in the mid-20s Celsius, and was short of
breath from the thin Highveld air. Arshdeep, who hadn’t played an ODI in over a
year, acknowledged that he wasn’t ready for the altitude or the workload.
Nevertheless, he came back in the match’s 22nd over,
looking for his fifth, got it in his last over, and was the only player to bowl
out. He attributed some of his self-motivation to return to his time in the
County with Kent.
“It feels really nice when the results fall into
place,” Arshdeep said. “Whether we win or lose, the main focus is on
preparation and processes. Even if we can improve one or two percent in every
game – that’s where great teams succeed. We enjoy the results but the main
focus is on the process.”