India fail miserably in the first big Test against Proteas and throw Super Eights wide open

South Africa’s Corbin Bosch celebrates the wicket of Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav during their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 Group 1 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. | Photo credit: ANI

The one-dimensional ‘attack at all costs’ template of the Indian batting unit was thoroughly exposed as the hosts failed in their first major Test against South Africa, losing their opening match for the Super Eights by 76 runs in the T20 World Cup here on Sunday.

While four group stage wins covered the visible gaps, the Indian batters were completely faltering on a somewhat sluggish surface. The defeat, India’s first since the semi-final loss to England in the 2022 edition, has left the group wide open and leaves their next two matches against Zimbabwe (February 26) and West Indies (March 1) literally needing to win matches to qualify for the last four legs.

Jasprit Bumrah’s (3/15 in 4 overs) superlative bowling was completely canceled out by a clumsy batting display as India were bowled out for a modest 111 in 18.5 overs in pursuit of 188.

Marco Jansen (22/4), Keshav Maharaj (24/3) and Corbin Bosch (2/12) were the main breakers in what was a complete performance from the Proteas.

But David Miller’s 63 and useful contributions from Dewald Brevis (45) and Tristan Stubbs (44 no) should also get an honorable mention, especially as they canceled out Varun Chakravarthy (1/47 in 4 overs) with aplomb.

But anyone who watched the Indian batters stutter against the US, Namibia and the Netherlands knew that all it took was one good team to force them to change gears, and they found their bogey unit in South Africa.

On a black ground where the ball was gripping, none of the Indian batters got the measure of the Proteas attack, which fired collectively.

Captain Aiden Markram made the job easier by removing the dangerous Ishan Kishan (0) with a delivery that stopped on him and he played the ugliest crossed hoick.

Tilak Varma’s (1) approach to batting throughout the tournament had been faulty and he lasted only two balls.

Tilak’s intention to charge Marco Jansen ended disastrously and he also wasted a DRS for a nick that could have possibly been heard as far away as the Sabarmati Ashram.

Abhishek Sharma (15) scored his first World Cup runs but he is completely out of trouble and it took one knuckleball from India’s nemesis Jansen to get him out of the way.

The controversial decision to include Washington Sundar in place of regular vice-captain Axar Patel turned out to be a complete hara-kiri as the overrated white-ball all-rounder neither set the stage on fire with ball or bat. Suryakumar Yadav (18 off 22 balls) was unable to get the ball off the square at times and on a difficult surface against a good attack, his performance once again left a lot to be desired.

Suryakumar wouldn’t even look at his dismissal off Bosch as he bowled a delivery on leg stump towards mid-wicket.

At 51 for 5, the match was all but over, but Hardik Pandya (18 off 17 balls) and Shivam Dube (42 off 37 balls) were still at the crease.

The duo added 35 runs but South Africa coach Shukri Conrad’s bowling plans were remarkable at that stage.

Lungi Ngidi and Bosch bowled wide yorkers at a variable pace, which the two big hitters could not negotiate well.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj (24/3) adjusted his length and bowled at a slower pace, making it extremely difficult to get under the ball and generate power. After Pandya and Rinku were sent off, the 90,000-plus spectators slowly trudged out with the disappointment of another defeat in the World Cup match at this venue.

Earlier, David Miller rolled back the years with electrifying knocks, but Bumrah’s superb opening and closing act had restricted South Africa to a manageable 187 for seven in twenty overs.

Standing on the boundary of 37, Miller hit 63 off 35 balls and got good support from young Dewald Brevis (45 off 29 balls) after Bumrah (3/15 in 4 overs) and Arshdeep Singh (2/28 in 4 overs) had reduced the Proteas to 20 for 3 in the first four overs.

Bumrah, who got two wickets in his first two overs for just seven runs, took another wicket and gave away just 8 more runs on the 17th and 19th which he sent down, but everything went down the drain.

Published on February 22, 2026