LONDON: Apart from winning the inaugural edition of the then ICC Knockout Trophy in 1998, South Africa don’t boast of spectacular numbers in knockout matches. Had they beaten Pakistan in Edgbaston, this match against India would have been just another league match. Instead, it is a must-win now, which has the potential to be regarded as a knockout contest, in case they end up on the losing side. So going into Sunday’s fixture, South Africa’s primary focus has been to get rid of the thought of seeing this match as a must-win and treat it like what it is supposed to be — a league match.
Though it is a must-win for both the teams, it is understandable why South Africa are already under pressure. They are the top-ranked side in the ODIs and a failure to get to the semifinals shouldn’t take away all the hardwork they have put in since the semifinal exit in the 2015 World Cup. It hasn’t been easy for them, for they have lost at least four players, and two of them, Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw, would have been definite starters for them in the Champions Trophy. But they have moved on and built a side making a few changes and are taking another shot at redemption in ICC tournaments.
Anything apart from a win here will be termed by many as ‘choke’ – irrespective of the fight they put up. If their top-order batsmen fail, it will be looked at as not stepping up in pressure situations and questions will be asked about their mental strength. Despite facing similar circumstances in bilateral series, some curse continues to haunt the team in big events, which they will hope to overcome against India. And they will also face similar questions if they make the semifinal. It is not easy when you know what will be spoken if things don’t go your way.
For the last couple of days, South Africa support staff have been trying to keep the players as relaxed as possible. They even gave them optional practice sessions and on Saturday, the mood was quite jovial in the nets, as captain AB de Villiers spoke about how maintaining the composure will be crucial. “We’re really clear about what’s necessary for us, and what’s needed for us to go out there and win. So I think the guys generally perform better if they are relaxed in their mindsets and not too tense. That’s partly my responsibility to make sure there’s no panic,” he said.
South Africa have been speaking about it for long, but somehow have failed to execute plans on the field. May be it is just a mental block or related to nerves, as they showed against New Zealand in the World Cup semifinal, where they let the match slip out of their own hands.
“The tendency (over-excited) will be there, because we all live for these kinds of moments. It’s important for us to make sure we focus on why we’ve been successful over the last few months. I felt the guys were really hungry to succeed and unfortunately came unstuck in that last game. But I’m expecting the same intensity against India,” De Villiers said.