South Africa decimated Australia by a commanding 134 runs, marking their second triumph in the 10th match of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Ekana Sports City in Lucknow on Thursday.
The match featured standout performances from Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram, with a resolute bowling attack dealing a major blow to the five-time champions.
Australia's pursuit of a target of 312 started on a shaky note, losing half of their wickets for a mere 65 runs. They found themselves struggling against the skillful bowling of Kagiso Rabada (3-33), Marco Jansen (2-54), and Keshav Maharaj (2-30), ultimately folding for a modest 177 runs in just 40.5 overs. Marnus Labuschagne's valiant effort of 46 runs was the lone bright spot in their batting lineup.
The comprehensive victory for South Africa was built upon the strong foundation provided by Quinton de Kock, who crafted a splendid 109, and Aiden Markram, who contributed a valuable 56, allowing the Proteas to post a formidable total of 311-7 in their allotted 50 overs.
The Australian side found themselves perplexed by a couple of decisions made by the TV umpire after reviews. Marcus Stoinis, despite his bottom hand appearing to be off the bat when the ball hit his glove, was ruled caught behind. Earlier, ball-tracking technology predicted an LBW decision against Steve Smith, with the ball seemingly on track to hit the top of the stumps, though the batsman expressed doubt.
Kagiso Rabada went on to dismiss both Smith and Stoinis, leaving Australia in dire straits at 70-6. South Africa's spinners then completed the job, with Tabraiz Shamsi (2-38) cleaning up the tail.
Quinton de Kock, awarded the player of the match, shared his thoughts on the victory, saying, "It's a great win for the boys. To be honest, we didn't know how the wicket was going to play. We assessed conditions well and played accordingly. We knew it was going to be a difficult game for us. But as long as we played and stuck to our strengths... that's what we did and came out on top."
South Africa, batting first after losing the toss, made a cautious start, but Quinton de Kock's brilliant form from their previous win against Sri Lanka continued. He notched up eight fours and five sixes in his 106-ball innings, showcasing his remarkable skill and determination.
Skipper Temba Bavuma (35) had two lucky escapes as Australia missed some challenging chances, but his innings were eventually terminated by Glenn Maxwell (2-34). Nevertheless, De Kock's blazing form persisted, including two massive sixes off Josh Hazlewood in the 23rd over. Despite spinner Adam Zampa removing Rassie van der Dussen (26), De Kock's onslaught continued, culminating in his 19th century, including a colossal six off Pat Cummins.
Australia's Pat Cummins could have claimed two more wickets, but Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc dropped chances on an off day for Australia in the field. However, a late double strike by Starc (2-53) in the final restrained South Africa from amassing an even higher total.
After suffering their second consecutive defeat in the tournament, Australia's captain Pat Cummins commented, "If we've got to be challenging for this tournament, you've got to find a way in all conditions. That's for the bowlers to take wickets and the batters to try and get runs. Not much needs to be said tonight; everyone's hurting, so we've got a few days; we'll regroup. We'll try and make amends."
