Don’t write off champions: Nathan Lyon on Kohli’s recent batting slump
The Australian team must be hoping to take advantage of Virat Kohli’s prolonged batting slump when the two sides clash in the five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar trophy
Virat Kohli and his men will be eager to go on the field against South Africa at Southampton in their World Cup 2019 opening game on Wednesday (June 5, 2019). South Africa, on the other hand, have already suffered a couple of huge defeats and would be desperate to get off the mark on the points table.
Against the hosts England in the World Cup opener, South Africa lost by a whopping margin of 104 runs. In their second game against Bangladesh, the Proteas fell short by 21 runs as the Bangla tigers outplayed South Africa in all the departments to clinch a famous win in their cricket history.
After having won the toss and electing to bowl first, South Africa conceded the first 50 runs in a real quick time. When they dismissed the openers after they had put on a half-century stand, the experienced campaigners, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, played some smart cricket.
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Half-centuries from both the players and a strong finish from the lower order saw Bangladesh register their highest ODI score (330/6) in the World Cup history. Chasing this massive score, South Africa lost the in-form batsman Quinton de Kock to a run out.
Post the wicket, owing to a tight line and length by Bangladesh bowlers, South Africa batsmen couldn’t get going and despite a half-century from captain Faf du Plessis, lost the match by 21 runs.
After 1992, the defeat against Bangladesh was only the second instance when South Africa lost two matches in a row in the mega tournament. South Africa play India in a couple of day’s time and a defeat against a strong looking Indian side might just dampen their hopes of winning a maiden World Cup title.
However, if India does manage to beat South Africa, the team will own the unwanted record of losing three consecutive games for the first time in the World Cup history- a record that du Plessis and team would fight hard to avoid.
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