CHENNAI: Proceedings in Durban last Thursday hinted that the same might perhaps happen again in Centurion on Sunday. It did. Two implosions of 4/12 and 5/18 from South Africa’s batsmen. A maiden fifer for Yuzvendra Chahal. A 3/20 from Kuldeep Yadav, his best ODI figures. The perfect ingredients for India to conjure up their biggest win in terms of balls remaining (177, along with nine wickets to spare) against the Proteas, and in the process a 2-0 series lead.
During the first ODI at Kingsmead, MS Dhoni had perhaps unknowingly summed up this clash while doling out a bit of advice to Kuldeep, who was up against a resilient Andile Phehlukwayo. “Tu kara. Cheh ball isko samajhne mein nikal jaayega. (You just bowl. By the time he figures you out, the over will be done).”
That was pretty much the synopsis for what happened at SuperSport Park. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had weeded out Hashim Amla by getting his inside edge with an in-ducker, and it was Chahal’s and Kuldeep’s cue to enter stage left.
The two wrist-spinners landed a haymaker on the hosts’ top-order just 18 balls into their combined introduction. Two long-hops were obediently hit by Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram into the palms of the sole fielders positioned at deep square-leg.
That their half-trackers too are quite economical as compared to other spinners (with this length, the two concede 5.4 runs per over and take wickets at an average of 28.5, as compared to the corresponding overall statistics of 6.4 and 55) too is indicative of the threat they currently pose with the ball.
Looseners out of the way, Kuldeep and Chahal were hell bent on making Dhoni’s words come true. The chinaman put on an exhibition in loop and drift. The leg-spinner laser-guided his way on to the stumps, seasoning his offerings with an occasional sprinkling of flight and wrong ‘uns.
Barring debutant Khaya Zondo and JP Duminy, South Africa’s batting showed as much solidity as a soggy paper bag. Much like the first ODI, the wrist-spin duo ratcheted up combined figures of 14.2-1-42-8. The hosts were reduced to 118 in 32.2 overs, their lowest total on home soil.
“I think this is a great achievement for any spinner in South Africa. The two have been very consistent,” remarked former India spinner Sunil Joshi, who is currently working as spin consultant for Bangladesh. “It was 20 overs for five wickets in the first ODI, now it’s eight. I’ve seen them at the National Cricket Academy, and they’ve put in a lot of hard work to be where they are.”
To be fair to South Africa, the die was loaded against them ever since the beginning of this series. If AB de Villiers’ name had to be scratched off due to a finger injury, skipper Faf du Plessis endured the same fate after the first ODI.
The two right-handers have been South Africa’s willow-wielding turrets over the last two years. Among those players who have slotted into their 3-7 slots, Du Plessis has raked up 1,025 runs (average 64.06), while De Villiers has 773 (average 59.46) to his name.
David Miller is their third best, but his outings have yielded only 377 at 47.12. Take out his unbeaten century against Sri Lanka last February, and those numbers dip to 260 at 28.89.
That 11 men have played musical chairs with their middle-order shows that South Africa too is afflicted with a problem that their opposition has been grappling with for a while.
“The two have been brilliant for South Africa, yes, but injuries are a part and parcel of the game,” observed Joshi. “Their presence or not, Kuldeep and Chahal have done a brilliant job for India.”
rahulravi@newindianexpress.com