South Africa defeated India badly in a crucial Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup. From the toss to the team selection, nothing went right for India. Let's explore eight major reasons behind Team India's defeat.

Why did Team India lose?

The Indian team is facing severe criticism after its crushing defeat to South Africa in the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup. Let's explore the major reasons for India's defeat.

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The toss played

In the World Cup group matches, India won all their matches batting first. Team India did not have to chase in a single match. India defeated the United States by 29 runs, Namibia by 93 runs, Pakistan by 61 runs, and the Netherlands by 17 runs. However, after losing the crucial toss in Ahmedabad, South Africa, batting first, posted a high total, putting India under pressure.

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Even after applying pressure, the grip was loosened

Despite losing the toss, India dominated the match early. South Africa's score had reached 20 when India took three crucial wickets: Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, and Ryan Rickelton. However, India couldn't maintain this lead. A blistering partnership between David Miller and Dewald Brevis brought South Africa back into the match. The two added 97 runs in 50 balls for the fourth wicket, loosening India's grip.

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Spinners looked helpless

The Indian spinners failed to contain the run-rate in the middle overs of the match. Varun Chakravarthy leaked a lot of runs, while Washington Sundar also failed to put pressure on the South African batsmen. Varun did take the wicket of David Miller in his final over. Together, Sundar and Varun conceded 64 runs in six overs and took just one wicket. The Indian spinners failed to bowl at the right length on the Ahmedabad pitch.

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It was a big mistake to include Washington Sundar in the team.

The decision to include Washington Sundar in the team in place of vice-captain Axar Patel proved to be a complete mistake. Sundar was brought in to counter left-handed batsmen like Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, and David Miller. However, de Kock and Rickelton were dismissed before Sundar's arrival, preventing his proper use. When Sundar came in to bowl, Miller was at the crease, but right-handed batsman Dewald Brevis was batting aggressively. Therefore, Sundar bowled only two overs, conceding 17 runs and going wicketless. He was sent in at number five, but managed just 11 runs from 11 balls.

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Team India's explosive batsman was seen crying...

In reply, the Indian team had a disastrous start. In every World Cup match, except the one against the USA, Ishan Kishan had given India a quick start in the powerplay. However, in this match, Kishan fell into the trap set by Aiden Markram for Abhishek Sharma in the very first over. Abhishek started well with six and two fours, but failed to score a big score. Meanwhile, Tilak Varma, who had been criticized for his slow batting, tried to play a big shot as soon as he came in and lost his wicket, putting India under immense pressure.

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Tuk-Tuk ruined everything, no big partnership happened.

Team India failed to build any significant partnerships during their batting. Instead of playing cautiously, the batsmen resorted to unnecessary aggressive shots, which proved costly for the team. The Indian innings collapsed completely due to the continuous loss of wickets. Following this defeat, India will need to make a significant comeback in the next matches to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

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Showing trust in Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Verma proved costly.

India's continued reliance on Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, who were struggling with poor form, proved costly. It was inevitable that any day Ishan Kishan failed, Team India would be under pressure. Kishan was dismissed in the first over against South Africa, which put pressure on Tilak Varma to score quickly. In an attempt to show his intent, Tilak was dismissed playing a big shot off the second ball. Meanwhile, finisher Rinku Singh has played only 29 balls in this World Cup, scoring 24 runs. Despite the team's abundance of left-handed batsmen, the management has not included right-handed Sanju Samson in the playing eleven, replacing Rinku.

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Dew gave South Africa a big advantage

Before the match, it was expected that the team bowling in the second innings would face heavy dew at night. However, there was no dew during India's batting, making things easier for South Africa. Captain Aiden Markram utilized his pacers effectively, and the South African bowlers effectively used the slow ball to limit India's run rate.

 PC:AsinetNews