Irfan Pathan Analyzes India's Defeat Against South Africa in Raipur
Pathan's Insights on the Match
Irfan Pathan, the former all-rounder, shared his views following India's four-wicket loss to South Africa in Raipur on Wednesday. He pointed out that the team's performance in the final overs of their innings was a significant factor in their defeat. At one point, India was well-positioned at 284/4 after 40 overs, but they could only manage to score 74 runs in the last 10 overs, finishing at 358/5.
India's Batting Performance
Batting first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, India faced early setbacks, finding themselves at 62/2 after losing Rohit Sharma (14) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22). However, a remarkable partnership between 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) stabilized the innings with a 195-run collaboration for the third wicket.
KL Rahul contributed a quick 66 not out from 43 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja added 24 runs off 27 balls, culminating in a brisk 69-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Marco Jansen was the standout bowler for South Africa, taking 2 wickets for 63 runs.
South Africa's Successful Chase
South Africa began their chase aggressively but lost Quinton de Kock early in the innings. Captain Temba Bavuma (46 off 48 balls, with three fours and a six) formed a crucial 101-run partnership with Aiden Markram, who scored his fourth ODI century and first as an opener, finishing with 110 runs off 98 balls, including 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, featuring one four and five sixes) shifted the momentum in favor of the Proteas. Despite injuries to Nandre Burger and Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj (10*) and Corbin Bosch (25*) guided South Africa to a memorable victory with four wickets remaining and four balls to spare.
For India, Arshdeep Singh was the 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 critical factor in the match outcome.
Looking Ahead
An exciting decider is set for Saturday, promising more thrilling cricket.