Kamal Ghorui
KOLKATA: And then there were four. After 52 matches over almost one month, four teams will fight it out for the coveted T20 World Cup. As two usual suspects — South Africa and New Zealand, who share a healthy sporting rivalry — meet in the first knockout game at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday, there seems to be little to differentiate the two.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!These are two of the most balanced sides in this World Cup, but arguably South Africa, who won the World Test Championship but are yet to lay their hands on a white-ball World Cup, walk into the game as the more fancied unit.“We will probably start as favourites because we are the only unbeaten side,” South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said. “I don’t know if that adds to the pressure. The semifinal is pressure enough. I’m glad we’re favourites.”
What really clicked for South Africa is that they have played as a team, with different players standing up to be counted at different times. Even after losing Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis early, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen have finished things for them. Conrad said, “There’s calmness in the side, especially in the batting unit. Whatever the situation, someone will find a way.”SA seem to believe that taking wickets is the best way to restrict runs. Along with Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi has made a difference with his pace variation. “We might not have left the shores of South Africa with a mystery spinner but we’ve got a mystery seamer in Lungi Ngidi. Boshy (Corbin Bosch) has done exceptionally well nailing his yorkers in the death,” Conrad said.
South Africa will love to return to the Eden Gardens, where they won their first Test in India in 15 years last Nov. “We’re looking forward to getting to Kolkata, where our tour a couple of months ago started really well for us,” the coach said. “We’re hoping to get some good memories there again.”The Black Caps have their task cut out if they are to end South Africa’s seven-match unbeaten run. Taking into account the change in conditions, the Kiwis will need to rejig their team composition after going in with five-spin options in Colombo, where they played all their Super 8 games. The team will take a final call on playing Matt Henry on his return from paternity leave after he rejoins the side on match-day morning.Also, having Rob Walter as coach should be an advantage for New Zealand. The Johannesburg-born Walter was in charge of the SA ODI and T20I squads from 2023-25 and helped them reach the 2024 T20 World Cup final. “While SA have been playing very good cricket, we obviously believe that we can beat them. It just takes one bad day for a team that’s been playing well. We need to be ready and play our best cricket,” Walter said.
