Walk and Talk in Kolkata

Look out for the Yellow cabs

    The Group Stage of the World Cup is becoming a touch arduous because two teams have already qualified for the semi-finals and a third, Australia, seems assured of a place in the last four. It would have been very different if there were seven or eight teams in contention, which was a feasible concept.

    New Zealand have lost three in a row which has opened up opportunities for Pakistan and Afghanistan to challenge for the final place in the knockout stages, but it is a small sub-plot in the greater, underwhelming play.

    Would India and the team finishing in second place, possibly South Africa, deserve a ‘second chance’ after such commanding form over so many games? Yes. A Qualifier/Eliminator format for this tournament would have made a lot of sense. It’s too late to consider now with the next (final?) 50-over World Cup in Southern Africa in 2027 including 14 teams, two groups of seven and a Super Six.

    The brutal reality of the World Cup for the two front-runners, India and South Africa, is that 95% of their followers will only remember them for their final result and how it was achieved or ruined. If South Africa’s players are feeling the reflected ‘heat’ from their own form, and another World Cup win for the Springboks, they might remind themselves that the level of expectation on the Indian players is beyond their imagination.

    The magnitude of the victories by India and South Africa deserve more appreciation, as do the personal performances within them, whether they win the cup or not. But they won’t be if they don’t. South Africa became the first team to post four 350+ totals in a World Cup with their 357-4 against the Black Caps. Their current total of 82 sixes has comfortably surpassed the previous tournament record of 76, set by England four years ago.

    Quinton de Kock’s tally of 545 runs is within sight of Sachin Tendulkar’s WC record of 673 but he is already the highest scoring wicket keeper surpassing Kumar Sangakkara’s totals of 541 and 465 in 2015 and 2011 respectively. Most sixes by a ‘keeper in a World Cup? Adam Gilchrist, surely, with 19 in 2007. De Kock currently has 22.

    As always, the runs and boundaries grab the headlines, but the bowling has done just as much to win games for South Africa. If Marco Jansen’s figures were those of a batsman, he too, would have four centuries along with de Kock. He has taken 12 wickets in the Power Play in seven matches, removing both openers on three occasions. Perhaps only current and former players, and cricket nuffies, will appreciate how influential that has been.

    De Kock and Jansen, understandably, were offered up online to the media today to discuss their contributions to a daunting campaign so far. It was another tooth-extracting procedure for de Kock, obviously, while Jansen’s humility and warmth was extracted by the lack of eye-contact with his audience. It’s not easy talking to a camera, I know.

    There are several issues which arise from ‘prepared’ answers designed to align the team. One is a lack of common sense. Both players said that Sunday’s penultimate group match against India was “…just another game of cricket.” What complete, disrespectful nonsense. It will be an unforgettable occasion for the rest of their lives, even for phlegmatic Quinny.

    Neither of them meant it. More accurate and honest would have been: “It’s going to be a huge, intimidating event, but we will do our best to treat it like any other match.” Semantics, perhaps, but extremely important. A 70,000 sell-out crowd at the home of Indian Cricket, on Virat Kohli’s birthday, is never, ever, just another game of cricket.