The highly anticipated clash between the tournament’s top two teams, both boasting impressive records, turned into a one-sided affair. India amassed a formidable 326/5, with Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 101 equaling Sachin Tendulkar‘s ODI world record of 49 centuries. South Africa’s response, however, was nothing short of disastrous. Ravindra Jadeja’s sensational 5/33 bowling performance dismantled the Proteas innings, reducing them to a mere 83 all out in 27.1 overs, their heaviest-ever defeat by runs in the format. India’s powerplay score of 91 alone surpassed South Africa’s entire innings total. This resounding victory left everyone wondering how things had gone so horribly wrong for the Proteas.

“An excellent question, and a significant understatement,” Walter acknowledged. “Today, we were simply outplayed. While they raced off to a quick start, we managed to recover somewhat. However, their total was too much to chase on this pitch. And then, from a bowling perspective, they applied pressure from the outset, leaving us with no opportunity to regain control.”

South Africa’s batting lineup, boasting a combined eight centuries in the tournament’s first seven games, faltered against India’s bowling attack. Renowned for their big-hitting prowess, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, and Heinrich Klaasen contributed a mere 28 runs collectively, with Klaasen’s 13 being the highest score among them.

Marco Jansen, the tournament’s leading new-ball bowler with 18 powerplay wickets, struggled to find his rhythm against India’s openers. His first four overs conceded 43 runs, setting the tone for a disappointing spell that ended with career-worst figures of 1/94 at an economy rate of 9.72.

Walter expressed confidence that Jansen’s confidence wouldn’t be shaken by this setback: “Isn’t it a privilege to perform in front of thousands in a match like today, with so many opportunities to learn? He had a rough day, but he has the talent to bounce back and be effective next time. He now understands what it’s like to compete in a pressure cooker with so many people cheering against you. That experience is irreplaceable. You can’t find it anywhere else.”

While both teams had already secured their places in the semifinals before Sunday’s match, the prospect of facing India again in the knockout stages didn’t escape Walter’s mind.

“You have to believe that if you execute your skills well on the day, you have a chance. Today, we didn’t do that from the start.

“However, every day brings new lessons and surprises. So, it wouldn’t surprise me if we turned the tables the next time we meet. The beauty of it is that we may have another chance.”

South Africa’s supporters will take solace in the fact that their team didn’t defeat themselves; instead, they succumbed to a superior opponent. Walter echoed this sentiment: “The scoreboard speaks for itself. India was far superior, there’s no disputing that.

“Just as we’ve been far superior to other teams that, on paper, seemed evenly matched or even inferior to us.

“In international cricket, once you gain the upper hand, anyone can beat anyone. Today, the Indian team took control, and we were unable to regain momentum.”

Despite the heavy defeat, the South Africans didn’t take it lightly: “If you enter the dressing room now, you’ll find a group of guys deeply disappointed that we weren’t able to honor what was an incredible occasion and a fantastic opportunity to showcase our talents. We’ve played so well throughout this World Cup, and we would have wanted nothing more than for this to be a great contest.”

Walter’s team will need to regroup quickly for a potentially challenging final league match against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on Friday. “Our focus for the next four days remains the same: utilizing the available time to prepare for the next fixture, and then it’s onto the semi-final. Nothing changes.

“The guys have put in a lot of hard work, and we’ve invested a great deal of time in our preparation. Now, it’s about recovering mentally and physically and being ready to compete the way we have throughout the tournament.”

But not, as he didn’t have to say, the way they failed to do on Sunday.

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Mitchell Santner took charge with the bat in the late overs of New Zealand’s innings, scoring a quickfire 17-ball 32 to help his team post a formidable 322 for 7.

Santner’s innings came after Tom Latham had clubbed Paul van Meekeren for a boundary and a six in the previous over. Santner then ended the over with a cut for four past backward square.

Santner continued to attack in the final over, smoking a couple of sixes off Bas de Leede to take New Zealand to 322 for 7. Santner’s innings was vital for New Zealand, as it helped them to mount a big total and wrestle the momentum back from the Netherlands.

Mitchell Santner has been expected to play this kind of role with the bat: making a small impact that makes a significant difference. Even though he comes into the team as a bowling all-rounder, he is more likely to be a hero with the bat, finishing off a close game.

This was evident in the previous game against England, where he returned figures of 2-37 from his 10 overs, despite the ultra-aggressive batting of the English team. His performance was overshadowed by the unbeaten 273-run stand between Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, but it was still a valuable contribution.

Santner is often overshadowed by the star pacers, but he plays an important role in the team’s bowling attack. He is a container, while the pacers are the aggressors. In 95 ODIs before the Hyderabad game, he had picked up only 93 wickets. However, his economy rate is excellent, and he is often used to bowl in the middle overs to tighten things up.

Mitchell Santner, the perennial side actor, was the star of the show on Monday, both with the bat and the ball. He backed up his quickfire cameo with a devastating spell of bowling, ripping through the Netherlands’ middle order to claim the first-ever international five-for at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Even though the pitch offered turn, its slow and even pace made it easy for the batters to counter Colin Ackermann’s bowling. Ackermann himself admitted that the Netherlands batters played him well, saying, “He mixes his pace pretty well; he was a massive threat. I think we played him pretty well up to a point and then we gave him a couple of soft wickets towards the back end.

Although Colin Ackermann might argue that some of the Netherlands’ shot selections were poor, Santner deserves credit for his clever bowling. In the 35th over, with the required run rate increasing, Netherlands captain Scott Edwards decided to attack Santner, hitting him for a boundary and six followed by a two with a powerful shot. Sensing Edwards’ intent to attack, Santner slowed down the pace and bowled a flighted delivery to tempt him. Edwards fell for the bait, going too early for the ball and miscuing it, top-edging it to the bowler who caught it.

It was great to get the rewards,” said Santner, who took his second ODI five-wicket  haul in New Zealand’s 99-run win. “I don’t think I bowled as well as I did in Ahmedabad. I missed a few more balls, but I kept trying to be aggressive and take wickets. I think that’s the only way to slow down the batters in the middle overs of an ODI World Cup  innings, and I thought we did that very well as a bowling unit.

 With Ish Sodhi on the bench for the first two games, both of which New Zealand won convincingly, Santner is the only frontline spinner in the XI, with support from part-timers Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips. Sodhi may come into his own on the more spin-friendly pitches in Chennai, but for now, the onus is on Santner to keep control.

Santner, who has typically played a containing role in all formats, is excited to be an aggressor in the spin-friendly conditions of India. Having played most of his cricket in New Zealand, where there is not much assistance for spinners, Santner has had to make adjustments to his bowling style.

It’s great to come here and bowl on spinning wickets, which are rare in New Zealand,” Santner said. “My role is slightly different in India. I need to be more aggressive, keep my slips in for longer, and operate with a mid-on up most of the time, with only three fielders back. I want to make the batters play big shots, and if the ball is spinning, I’ll be even more aggressive.

Our role will vary depending on the conditions. On flat pitches, we may need to play a more defensive role and try to get wickets through pressure. But on pitches like tonight, where there is some spin, we can be more aggressive and bowl with a slip in. Rachin also bowled very well tonight, with the same mentality of always trying to get wickets.

Santner is a key player for New Zealand in all formats, but he rarely has a starring role. On Monday, he was the most expensive New Zealand bowler, but he also took four wickets, which was rare but welcome.

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