In the nets set up in the middle of the Wankhede on Monday, Geral Coetezee pulled lustily at delivery that scudded at him from JP Duminy’s dog thrower, perhaps channeling his inner Marco Jansen. Coetezee made a firm contact, and after the ball cleared the net, it gained freedom.
As it curved westward toward the Scahin Tendulkar Stand and the setting sun beyond, it cut a satisfying path through Mumbai’s gloomy atmosphere. The field for Tuesday’s World Cup match against Bangladesh appeared to be clear for the ball to land on or very near it. At the northern end of the field, Aiden Markram took a thorough, extended look at the field. Quite well, really.
Markram will serve as South Africa’s captain once more if Temba Bavuma is unable to play on Tuesday due to the stomach issue that forced him to leave Saturday’s game against England less than 10 minutes before the toss. Even though he was deeply contemplating the pitch as he looked at it, he was still alert enough to what was happening to his left to stick out his right hand and easily catch the ball Coetzee had hit.
Markram has served as the captain of the national team for 13 white-ball matches prior to this part Saturday and as recently as September. His most recent performance in the part, however, was distinct. He said at a press conference, “It was not the way you would like things to happen.” “Temba’s situation was very unfortunate. His leadership on the field was missed. Bavuma was asked if he had a chance to play on Tuesday. “He’s definitely improving, ” Markram responded. “A final call will be made on him tomorrow but he is in better spirits.”
Bavuma was present in the nets, initially adopting a left0handed stance to assist Tabraiz Shamsi in refining his line for southpaws, of which there are seven in the Bangladeshi team. Bavuma did eventually bat, but without protective gear.
Nine of the 15 South African players took part in the session, which lasted a little over an hour. Given the heat and humidity of Mumbai, that is a respectable crop for an optional practice. Why are there so many? The gus enjoy bowling and hitting balls, according to Markram. “We see quite of them here because they are always eager to work on their game and get better. They are checking off the boxed to prepare themselves mentally for tomorrow.
Andile Phehlukwayo was one of them, and it seems unllikely that he will get a game. That didn’t stop him from throwing a ball far into the Sunil Gavaskar Pavilion to the full east, from the westernmost net on the square.
It was impressive to witness such a high level of dedication. Bangladesh began their World Cup campaign with a victory against Afghanistan, but they have since experienced defeats four World Cup matches they’ve played against South Africa, with the most recent victory occurring in 2019. This places them on par with Australia and England, both of which also hold a 50% success rate against South Africa tournament. The only exception is New Zealand, who have won six out of the eight World Cup matched they’ve played against South Africa, giving them a positive record against the South Africans.
Bavuma’s team is on an upward trajectory, having defeated Sri Lanka, Australia, and England, despite a loss to the Netherlands. This success provides them with a strong incentive to maintain their performance as they strive to secure a spot in the semifinals. It remains uncertain when they might need Coetzee to deliver a powerful performance, just as the sun sets.
- Editor
- October 24, 2023
- 11:37 am
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