KOLKATA: Temba Bavuma has insisted that even if his in-form South Africa side lose to unbeaten hosts India in Kolkata on Sunday, it won’t be because they have “choked” again at a World Cup.
South Africa, yet to lift one-day international cricket’s showpiece trophy, have often been the authors of their own downfall
They went out after a tied 1999 semi-final against Australia when they had the game all but won, misread rain-affected run-rate rules in 2003 and lost another last-four thriller against New Zealand in 2015.
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The manner of those exits has led to repeated accusations of “choking” – an inability to handle pressure – and the Proteas’ critics were out in force after their shock loss to the Netherlands earlier in this World Cup.
But that reverse is their lone defeat of the tournament, with South Africa holding their nerve in a tense one-wicket win over Pakistan, and another victory on Sunday will see them join India in the semi-finals.
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“I think if we come unstuck tomorrow, I don’t think it’ll be a matter of choking,” South Africa captain Bavuma told a pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“I doubt you would say that about India as well if they come unstuck, that they had choked.
“You’ve got two teams who are in-form, coming up against each other and I think it’s just a matter of who breaks first and who’s able to, I guess, exploit that moment or that weakness.”
The diminutive 33-year-old added: “We understand that there will be pressure moments within the World Cup, moments that we’ve overcome to get to this point, and there will still be more. We’ll deal with them as best as we can.”
India dismissed Sri Lanka for just 55 – the lowest total posted by a Test side in a World Cup match – on Thursday, with their pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami wreaking havoc at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
“It’s obviously a world-class bowling attack, they know everything about these conditions,” said Bavuma. “
“You don’t get a lot of bad balls. The three up front, Bumrah, Siraj, as well as Shami…if there’s swing, if there’s nip, they can exploit that. You’ve really got to be on your ‘A game’ with that new ball.”
South Africa’s Quinton de Kock is the tournament’s leading batsman, with 545 runs, including four hundreds, from seven matches at an average of nearly 78.
But while De Kock is one of several Proteas’ batsmen to have had a personally successful World Cup, fellow opener Bavuma has managed just 111 runs from five innings with a highest score of 35.
“I just need to keep sticking to my processes, keep preparing as well as I can and if I’m doing that, hopefully the result will take care of itself,” said Bavuma.
“There’s still got a lot of cricket to go…And I believe that I’ll have a part to play somewhere within the tournament.”
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