முதலில் துடுப்பெடுத்தாடிய தென்னாபிரிக்கா, 20 ஓவர்களில் 8 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து 122 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்றது. மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகள் அணி 19.4 ஓவர்களில் 7 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து இலக்கை எட்டியது.
They had come to watch fireworks from AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. Together, two of the men who could perhaps put on 300 in a 20-over match if things went their way, faced a total of 14 balls for 14 runs at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. But Good Friday (March 25) still gave a ground packed almost to capacity its money’s worth with a low-scoring thriller.
Put in to bat, Faf du Plessis’s men couldn’t get too much right in putting on 122 for 8, not able to get the canny West Indian bowlers away on a pitch that had the ball stopping and not coming on to the bat. Then, its deep batting line-up notwithstanding, West Indies was made to fight for every run, and it came down to two young guns facing off in the final over with nine runs needed. Carlos Brathwaite missed the first ball from Kagiso Rabada, but a length delivery next up was smashed into the midwicket stands and West Indies squeezed home by three wickets in 19.4 overs.
The win meant West Indies was assured of a semi-final spot, and need to only beat Afghanistan in its next game on Sunday to progress undefeated. For South Africa, its fate is no longer in its hands, and it needs a number of things to go its way to make it to the final four.
