The faster Indian bounces back, the better

Against one of the two best bowling attacks, the top order played very good cricket and if at all they could be faulted, it could be in not scoring those additional 20 runs in the middle overs; in not seizing the only little window of opportunity they were offered. But I believe India were having to reassess targets all the time and they were up against some very disciplined bowlers. And it did not help that in the last 15 overs, South Africa fielded like world champions. I am convinced that apart from the six bowlers they play, their fielders effectively provide them with two more.

And I now have no doubt at all that this is the best batting side of the tournament. At 22-2 after eight overs, most teams would have tried to conserve wickets for the next four or five overs. South Africa didn’t because they had confidence in the batting to follow and because each player seems to have a precise idea of what is expected of him. And so Mark Boucher, with a bit of luck and a bit more of spirit, helped take 30 from the next three overs and neutralise Srinath who had till then bowled a fantastic first spell. That was where the match really turned South Africa’s way and when they won, they actually gave us the feeling that they could have scored another 20.

At the end, virtually surrounded by a group of South Africans with a lot of their favourite Castle beer in them, and to the chant of “We want Bob,” the coach admitted that as far as he was concerned, “this was just a very very good and tight game of cricket”. And there was a twinkle in his eye as well. “We do pack a lot of punch in our batting towards the end, don’t we.”

Now India need to bounce out of this very quickly. There was a feeling among some of the experts milling around the commentary boxes that the quicker they emerge out of this defeat the stronger they will become. And that, if anything, they need to react to situations faster. Sunil Gavaskar felt, for example, that Nicky Boje got away very lightly and that the batsmen should have seized on that opportunity faster. Or that the target score should have been revised to 280 very quickly.

But now that is history. They need a strong win against a faltering Zimbabwe to send out another positive signal to the rest of the teams in the competition. But first, they must send that signal to themselves.