Proteas cop a pink day pummelling

The Proteas copped a ‘Pink Day’ pummelling in the first of three ODIs against India at the Wanderers on Sunday, with the brightness of their kit the polar opposite of their performance with the bat. 

For the third time in South Africa's last four ODIs, they produced a dreary batting display, losing by eight wickets after posting just 116. It must befuddle regular viewers because it was that department which had been so dominant in the early stages of the World Cup. 

The obvious gaping hole at the top of the order from that tournament was left by Quinton de Kock who, having retired from the ODI format, is currently swinging from the hip in the Big Bash Down Under.

The blame so liberally dished in Temba Bavuma’s direction will need to go elsewhere after Sunday. 

Unlike the previous two collapses that were engineered by the game’s top bowlers — Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood, Bumrah, Shami and Jadeja — Sunday’s came courtesy of Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan. 

The pair of Indian seamers had played a combined eight ODIs between them before Sunday, with Avesh’s three wickets the only success either of them had. By the time South Africa’s innings was completed, midway through the 28th over, they shared nine wickets, with the left-arm seamer Arshdeep taking 5/37. 

Theirs was a simple method. They didn’t get carried away with the bounce off this surface, rather pitching the ball full and looking to swing it. There was more than enough help on offer, both from the conditions and the South African batters. 

Reeza Hendricks, who because of Bavuma’s absence knows he’ll get a full run in this series, didn’t make use of the first opportunity, inside edging the second ball he faced onto his stumps, having earlier been fortunate not to be given out when trapped in front by Mukesh Kumar. 

Rassie van der Dussen could count himself unlucky to see Umpire Bongani Jele raise his finger to the first ball he received from Arshdeep, which swung lavishly and which TV replays suggested would only just have brushed leg-stump. 

Hope that a total of substance would be posted arose during a 39-run third wicket partnership between stand-in skipper Aiden Markram and opener Tony de Zorzi, but the latter, having struck some lovely boundaries in his innings of 28, pulled loosely against Arshdeep with the top edge providing KL Rahul with an easy catch. 

It’s the continuation of what is becoming a worrying trend for De Zorzi, who has reached double figures in four of his last five innings — four of those in first-class cricket — but failed to turn the starts into match-defining innings. With the Test series starting next week, it is an issue he needs to address quickly. 

The rest of the South African innings was a procession from the middle to the changeroom, with Arshdeep and Avesh’s lines but more importantly their lengths proving too difficult for the home team’s batters to handle. Seven of the 10 dismissals were either bowled or lbw.

Avesh finished with 4/27.

India’s run chase wasn’t without trouble. Debutant Sai Sudharsan was fortunate to survive an lbw shout that had South Africa reviewed would have seen him back in the changeroom, that it was Jele again involved, would definitely have made Van der Dussen frown. 

Sudharsan finished unbeaten on 55 having shared an 88-run second wicket partnership with Shreyas Iyer, who produced sparkling shot-making in his 45-ball stay at the crease in which scored 52. 

The second ODI will be played in Gqeberha on Tuesday.