India need 192 to beat South Africa in Champions Trophy

Sports Desk: A meltdown of almost comic proportions by South Africa's batsmen has made India overwhelming favourites to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy.

With the winners going through and the losers going home – a scenario that has not traditionally favoured the South Africans – this was not the time to implode amid of flurry of chaotic running and misjudged strokeplay, reports dailymail.co.uk.

But, in time-honoured fashion, South Africa obliged, losing eight for 51 to send a full house at The Oval – almost all of them Indians – into raptures. India will need 192.

South Africa's most disastrous sequence came when AB de Villiers – following failures against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – answered Faf du Plessis' call for a non-existent single and was beaten to the punch by Hardik Pandya's throw from point.

He was gone for 16, taking his tournament aggregate at 20, and in all likelihood scuppering his hopes of a global trophy, at least for another two years. For one of the most talented players of this and any generation, this was not how the Champions Trophy was supposed to end.

Moments later, du Plessis dabbed to short third man, set off for a single, then turned back. The problem was, David Miller had hared down the track, leaving both batsmen stretching for the same end. At the other, Kohli removed the bails. Miller had to go.
With a curiously subdued Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock (bowled on the sweep by Ravindra Jadeja for 53) already back in the pavilion, the two run-outs left South Africa 142 for four in the 30th over.

But worse was to come. Not content with his part in those two mishaps, du Plessis dragged Hardik Pandya on to his stumps as he poked outside off, and it was 167 for six when Chris Morris skyed a pull to midwicket.

On and on it went. Andile Phehlukwayo and Kagiso Rabada fell in successive balls to the slippery seam of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Imran Tahir became the third run-out victim as he and JP Duminy played 'yes, no, wait' in the middle of the pitch.

Up in the Test Match Special commentary box, the former South African captain Graeme Smith spoke for a nation. 'It's been difficult to watch, to be honest,' he said.

South African fans have seen it all before. Unless India's batsmen commit collective suicide, they will meet Bangladesh at Edgbaston in Thursday's second semi-final.

Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/Jun 11, 2017/Porag/Nasim