With the dust seemingly settled on South Africa’s T20 World Cup final heartbreak, it’s time to ask the most important question of them all - did the Proteas choke?
While ardent fans will recite like parrots that the Proteas failed after needing 30 off 30 with six wickets in hand to win their first-ever Cricket World Cup title, and therefore it was a choke, there’s a lot more to it than that.
Having just smashed India’s Axar Patel for 22 runs off his own bat in the 15th over and got the required rate down to a run-a-ball for the last five, Heinrich Klaasen alongside David Miller were guiding South Africa to history.
The next over was also critical which was delivered by the world best fast bowler. Jasprit Bumrah, though he didn’t pick up a wicket in those six balls, conceded just four runs. It shifted the momentum back in favour of India as South Africa were left still needing 26 from 24.
Delay tactics
It was then that India slowed the game down as wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant went down with what appeared to be a curious knee niggle. The break in play worked like a charm, as the next ball Klaasen was caught behind well by a suddenly agile Pant off a widish delivery by Hardik Pandya, as the Proteas march to defeat began.
The fact that South Africa had negotiated every other pressure situation in the World Cup successfully, meant the Proteas and their fans would have still felt confident. Allrounder Marco Jansen was next in, and although he scored a vital 21 not out against the West Indies in their Super Eight clash he had a poor tournament with only 33 runs in total.
And after the fall of Klaasen to Pandya, the rest of the over only went for four runs.
From 30 off 30, it was soon 22 off 18 - still by no means impossible, but by now the momentum had completely shifted - mostly due to India’s strategy and incredible death bowling.
Then there was the small matter of Bumrah’s final over - the 18th. With Miller only able to manage a single off the third ball, Jansen was completely outdone by an angle delivery that knocked back his stumps.
If Miller had envisioned little support from Jansen coming in at eight, he had even less support from South Africa’s fragile tail.
With South Africa needing 16 from the final over, Miller had no choice but to go for a six off the first ball. And that’s when controversy struck.
Cheated?
Miller was caught on the long off boundary by Suryakumar Yadav after the player first gathered as he was heading over the boundary, threw it back in, stepped over the cushion and back into the field to regather the ball. Of course, the catch was reviewed, and what followed will be debated for years to come.
While the third umpire focussed on whether or not Yadav had stood on the rope while still touching the ball, it was also clear that the boundary had been moved from its original position by the discolouration of the grass. It meant that Yadav was actually standing where the boundary should have been. But that wasn’t taken into account, and Miller had to go.
According to law 19.3 and its sub-sections of the playing conditions of the T20 World Cup, titled ‘Restoring the boundary’, “If a solid object used to mark the boundary is disturbed for any reason, then: 19.3.1 - The boundary shall be considered to be in its original position. 19.3.2 - The object shall be returned to its original position as soon as is practicable; if play is taking place, this shall be as soon as the ball is dead. 19.3.3 if some part of a fence or other marker has come within the field of play, that part shall be removed from the field of play as soon as is practicable; if play is taking place, this shall be as soon as the ball is dead.”
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. When a fielder dives over the boundary in attempt to save a four as the ball hurtles along the ground, the boundary rope is often disturbed. With the fielder then probably having to quickly get back to his feet and throw the ball back into the keeper, restoring the boundary is often overlooked.
In fact, only if South Africa had restored the boundary position every time they disturbed the cushion while they were fielding, would they have a legitimate moral upper hand here. That’s why if you ask the players, they will likely not want to touch the issue. It’s rub of the green, and they know that.
For fans though, if it makes them feel better - then they can say South Africa were cheated. The history books, however, will say South Africa has never won a Cricket World Cup, and that’s indisputable.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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