Irfan Pathan Analyzes India's Defeat Against South Africa in Raipur

In a recent match in Raipur, India faced a disappointing four-wicket defeat against South Africa. Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan analyzed the game, pinpointing the crucial moments that led to India's downfall, particularly in the final overs of their innings. Despite a strong start and impressive performances from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad, South Africa's bowlers tightened their grip, allowing them to chase down the target successfully. Pathan's insights shed light on the factors that contributed to this loss, setting the stage for an exciting decider on Saturday.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 4, 2025, 03:46 IST

Irfan Pathan Reflects on India's Loss

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], December 4: Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan shared his insights following India's four-wicket loss to South Africa on Wednesday. Pathan pointed out that the team's performance in the final overs of their innings was detrimental to their chances of winning.

At one point, India was in a strong position at 284/4 after 40 overs, poised to set a formidable total. However, the South African bowlers tightened their grip, allowing only 74 runs in the last 10 overs, leading India to finish at 358/5 in their allotted 50 overs.

India batted first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, but the Proteas quickly put them under pressure, reducing them to 62/2 with the dismissals of Rohit Sharma (14) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22). However, Virat Kohli (102 off 93 balls, including seven fours and two sixes) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (105 off 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes) formed a crucial 195-run partnership for the third wicket, stabilizing the innings.

KL Rahul contributed a brisk 66 not out from 43 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja added 24 runs off 27 balls, culminating in a rapid 69-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Marco Jansen was the standout bowler for South Africa, finishing with figures of 2/63.

In response, South Africa began their chase aggressively but lost Quinton de Kock early. Captain Temba Bavuma (46 off 48 balls, with three fours and a six) and Aiden Markram built a solid 101-run partnership. Markram achieved his fourth ODI century and first as an opener, scoring 110 off 98 balls, featuring 10 fours and four sixes.

A pivotal 92-run partnership between Matthew Breetzke (68 off 64 balls, with five fours) and Dewald Brevis (54 off 34 balls, including a four and five sixes) shifted the momentum in favor of the Proteas.

Despite injuries to Nandre Burger and Tony de Zorzi easing the pressure on India, Keshav Maharaj (10*) and Corbin Bosch (25*) guided South Africa to a memorable victory with four wickets remaining and four balls to spare.

Arshdeep Singh was India's leading bowler with figures of 2/54, while Harshit Rana's performance deteriorated after a poor over, ending with 1/70. Prasidh Krishna's struggle, conceding 82 runs in 8.2 overs, was a significant factor in South Africa's triumph.

An exciting decider is set for Saturday.