India vs South Africa: Gavaskar Flags Strategy Gap After T20 World Cup Defeat
India suffered a heavy 76-run defeat against South Africa in their Super Eights clash of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, prompting former India captain Sunil Gavaskar to highlight a key difference in strategy between the two sides.
South Africa recovered from 20/3 to post 187/7, powered by a 63 off 35 balls from David Miller and 45 from Dewald Brevis. Their 97-run partnership stabilised the innings after early strikes from Jasprit Bumrah (3-15) and Arshdeep Singh (2-28).
India’s chase never gained momentum as they were bowled out for 111 in 18.5 overs, with Marco Jansen (4-22) and Keshav Maharaj (3-24) dismantling the batting line-up.
Speaking after the game, Gavaskar noted that Miller and Brevis adapted better to the sluggish black-soil pitch, focusing on orthodox strokeplay rather than aggressive hitting. He observed that the Proteas played more shots in the “V” and adjusted once they realised the ball was holding up on the surface — an approach India’s batters struggled to replicate.
India’s top order lost wickets attempting expansive strokes, with early dismissals leaving the middle order under pressure.
Miller’s familiarity with the venue from his IPL stint with the Gujarat Titans helped him pace the innings effectively, while Brevis provided calculated aggression. South Africa’s bowlers then capitalised on scoreboard pressure, exploiting conditions with disciplined lines and variations.
The defeat ended India’s 12-match winning streak in T20 World Cups and marked their first ICC World Cup loss at the venue since the 2023 ODI final. With their net run rate slipping to -3.8, India now face must-win Super Eights matches against the West Indies and Zimbabwe to keep semi-final hopes alive.