PUNE: Fast bowlers win matches even on flat decks. Ask South Africa. And New Zealand.
Their rugby World Cup final over the weekend in the French capital was a close one. The cricketing face-off on Wednesday turned out to be pretty one-sided on Wednesday. The Proteas took a major step towards emulating the Springboks with a comprehensive 190-run win over the Black Caps.
Yes, it was a league clash, and there is still a lot of cricket to be played. But the manner in which South Africa dismantled New Zealand, one of the pre-tournament favourites, has made them a strong contender for the title and their next fixture against hosts India in Kolkata on Sunday could turn out to be a dress rehearsal for the title decider.
New Zealand have now lost their third match against a top team - in a row - in the competition. Pakistan, their next opponents, will fancy their chances of making the semifinals. So too Afghanistan, who have played a game less.
More than two decades ago, South Africa, then led by the late Hansie Cronje, registered their first Test series win on Indian soil. Then, as now, their template was built around express pace. If it was the combination of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Nantie Hayward in 2000, it was the trio of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee that picked apart the Kiwi batting in clinical fashion at the MCA stadium.
After South Africa were put into bat by Tom Latham, Quinton de Kock smashed his fourth century of the World Cup and Rassie van der Dussen also cracked a century as the Proteas raced to their sixth win in seven matches.
De Kock made 114 and Van der Dussen struck 133 as South Africa posted 357-4. David Miller exploded late with a 30-ball 53 as South Africa scored 119 in the last 10 overs.
Jansen set the ball rolling in the New Zealand innings when he had Devon Conway caught in the slip cordon in his second over. His left-arm pace was simply too quick, as Rachin Ravindra found out when he attempted a hook and ended up finding Coetzee in fine leg. Coetzee, another 23-year-old like Jansen, induced a nick from Will Young before Rabada, the senior pro, got into the act by squaring up Tom Latham.
The venue, with its reliable bounce and the short boundaries, might have otherwise been a batsman's delight, but not on Wednesday night when the ball at times flew even over the keeper's head. The top-order disarray set the perfect stage for Keshav Maharaj to ransack the middle and lower order. And the left-arm spinner, very much in the mould of Ravindra Jadeja, decimated what was left of the Kiwi lineup with ripping turners.
Daryl Mitchell might have wished to target Maharaj from the outset. He went for a big shot off just the third ball from the spinner and ended up holing out in the deep. Maharaj then bowled his counterpart Mitchell Santner.
