As the Dust Settles in, This Match Will Be Remembered Forever

Those who live by the sword shall die by it. How ironic, and how cruel, would be the Biblical refrain to the South Africans. Arguably the best fielding side in the world, a team that has continuously  churned out world-class fielders down the years, they were inexplicably let down by their strongest suit in crunch situations.

Call it pressure or lack of fortune, but the callous reality is that they wasted opportunities, and at the most inopportune moments. The missed run outs (of Corey Anderson and Grand Elliot) and the dropped catch (of Elliot) late in the match, all cost them dear. Those proved to be the turning points of the match. The pain and disappointment they might be now going through will be immeasurable. They will be completely devastated.

Spare a thought especially for Morne Morkel — the big man bowled his heart out. His seventh over, in which he accounted for the dangerous Corey Anderson at a time when the Kiwis seemed to surpass the target with ease, was quite remarkable. So was his early spell, in which he dismissed the rampaging Brendon McCullum and the reliable Kane Williamson. He was seen wiping his tears after Grand Elliot’s six that sealed the match, and I can relate to that feeling.

That said, the Kiwis should be applauded. They used every bit of their resource to the hilt. Yes, they were lucky at times, but they were brave and made their own luck. How well they took off, McCullum teeing off and setting the tone, followed by some sensible batting by the middle-order batsmen. And in the end, the experienced Daniel Vettori chipped in with a vital boundary in the last over.

After the dust settles in, this match would be talked about as one of the finest of all time. The tenacity and grit both teams showed deserve a standing ovation. Every fine aspect of the sport stood out gloriously, a fine advertisement for the game.

Coming to the second semifinal, between familiar foes India and Australia, the SCG pitch will be under much focus. This is an ICC event and it is the groundsman’s prerogative to prepare the kind of pitch he wants so long as it meets certain standards, but I doubt it he will prepare a surface that will go against the Australians. I can’t see there being much turn for the Indian spinners, so once again, the focus will be on India’s pace bowlers and the top order batting.

Hawkeye/Chivach Sports