India Unstoppable Dominance Over South Africa in World Cup 2023
No other Indian squad has ever won eight games in a World Cup, much less eight in a row, and no other Indian squad—not even the 2011 squad—has ever ignited the aura of fear like this one.
India is destroying every barrier on their route to fame, much like an unstoppable vehicle tearing down an expressway. South Africa, with their attack-oriented batsmen and all-bases covered bowling unit, was supposed to be the toughest opposition yet. However, they were so thoroughly humiliated and demoralized that it would take a strange alignment of stars to prevent India from winning the World Cup.
Rob Walters, the coach of South Africa, struggled to express the brilliance of India. “How should I respond? I have nothing but praise for this incredible crew. An incredible crew. He was questioned if the pitch that promised to help the spinners had taken them by surprise. With careful consideration, he answered, “The scoreboard says it all.” There’s no getting around it.
The scoreboard, an antiquated manual one, said 326 for 5 for India and 83 for South Africa. a 243-run triumph in what was thought to be the tournament’s most important game.
After four weeks of competition, there is still no box to be checked, no base to cover, no force that appears powerful enough to stop them, and no group motivated enough to hold them off. Their metamorphosis was incredibly quick and enchanted. Not even at the beginning of the competition, two months prior, did anyone anticipate India to be the clear favourites. There were gaps and fractures, questions concerning the shape and suitability of the persons, mistrust of their combination.
But in just one month, they have become the most well-rounded, brutal, and motivated side. An unstoppable winning machine, driven by a lineup of the best cricket players in the world, who are driven by both their own passion and the enthusiastic backing of their home audience.
In the World Cup, no other Indian side has ever won eight games, much less eight in a row. This team blazed the halo of intimidation and atmosphere of fear like no other Indian team, not even the 2011 squad. Only a handful of other Indian teams have pre-prepared responses for each complex query posed to them. There aren’t many teams in this edition who have played as clinically or made winning appear so easy as Rohit Sharma’s club.
India’s fists were so strong that South Africa was repeatedly knocked unconscious in the Eden ring. However, India violently forced them to stand once more and delivered additional strikes to their already damaged psyche.
Rohit was the first to open fire on their new-ball duo, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen. When the spinners step in and the new ball loses its shine, the Indian skipper knew the ground would be hard to bat on. With caution now abandoned, Rohit led India to 61 runs in five overs. He would remark throughout the presentation that the barrage was instinctive rather than planned. After his departure, the momentum was maintained by Kohli and Gill until the tenth over. Keshav Maharaj hit Gill with a ripper that was crafted like a left-arm spinner’s dream come true. The ball had started to twist, grasp, and rip. However, nothing fazes them.
However, the batting is so skilled, their knowledge of the game is so profound, and they are so prepared with their strategies that they are aware of the appropriate answers. Thus, Virat Kohli let go of the anchor, gradually draining South Africa’s willpower until it was completely gone. Shreyas Iyer cooperated, suppressing his need to attack, but not because he was afraid; rather, he withdrew in order to jump farther and longer.
As the initial storm subsided, he transformed into the storm, unleashing intense anger and terror. There were 11 runs from the opening 34 balls. On a track where Maharaj produced incredible side-spin and the odd ball spat fiercely, he smashed 66 in the following 53 balls. The unselfish sidekick would be Kohli. He swallowed his pride, avoided the spotlight, and collectedly pulled them along.
Later, when the nets were going on, he would think about the game-situation simulation. Before the Asia Cup, we had a lot of practice sessions. Knowing that we were Nos. 3 and 4, Shreyas and I would always bat together during those sessions. I informed him, “This is the partnership, this is the partnership,” in the midst. This was the collaboration. They exceeded South Africa’s total by 51 runs with their 134-run addition. India was swept to a total their opponent coach estimated to be “at least 70-80 runs more than we had thought” thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s late burst.
It was over before the chase even started. These days, it’s inevitable that India’s seamers will wear down the top order and force them to see sixes and sevens. In the preceding seven games, this hitting lineup had amassed five totals of 350 or more. Here, however, they were severed to pieces. Mohammed Siraj demolished the stumps of Quinton de Kock, the series’ leading run scorer, just ten balls into the match. Temba Bavuma, his opening partner and captain, would not survive long. After losing the first six wickets for 59 runs, South Africa was almost out of the game thirty minutes later.
There’s no break, no room to breathe. There are several types of threat. You put up with the seamen; the spinners would scold you. Jadeja was brought on by Sharma in the ninth over, and by the time he reached his ninth over, he had already claimed five wickets. Jadeja did Jadeja things while the ball was spinning, though not as much as it did during the day.
He would place the ball on a length inside the stumps, spin it in either direction, vary the pace, and shuffle the release points and trajectories. One of his wickets was leg before the wicket, and the other three were bowled. Even though his all-around performance may go unappreciated and unacknowledged, Rohit would still compliment him, saying, “Jadeja has been really good.” Major game-changer. Today is an example of what he does best—take wickets and score runs in the dying stages of the game. He continues to perform his job and stays under the radar.
There are therefore match-winners from top to bottom. India won by six wickets, eight wickets, seven wickets, seven wickets, by four wickets, 100 runs, 302 runs, and 243 runs. Read out loud the margin of victory. With each game, this team is reaching new heights. As Walters acknowledged, they were “a hell of a team”—like an unstoppable vehicle barreling down an expressway.
