IND vs SA, T20 World Cup Super 8 Highlights: South Africa hammer India by 76 runs

They say revenge is best served sweet, and boy was it sweet tonight. South Africa were heartbroken when India took the title in Barbados, and this time they came back with a point to prove. They showed character, discipline and ruthlessness to dismantle the champions on their own turf.

Perhaps there is a lesson in here for India. Confidence is a fine thing, but when it tips over into complacency, karma has a way of coming calling.

A famous victory for the Proteas and a sobering night for the Men in Blue. That is a wrap on our coverage from Ahmedabad. Thank you for following along!

Marco Jansen is back into the attack and Shivam Dube goes after him with a biggie over mid-wicket. But Jansen has the last laugh as his knuckle ball gets the better of Dube. 

To follow it up, Bumrah also falls for a first-ball duck too. 

Shivam Dube 42(37) c. L Ngidi b. M Jansen

Jasprit Bumrah 0(1) c. A Markram b. M Jansen

South Africa win by 76 runs

Well it is not good news here as fans have already started to leave the stadium. So much for all that support I guess. 

Take a bow Lungi Ngidi. Time and again he delivers for South Africa and never quite gets the recognition he deserves. An underrated all-format star who is as reliable as they come for the Proteas. He finishes his quota with figures of 0/15 and on a night where wickets were flying at the other end, his discipline and control was just as valuable. A quality performance from a quality cricketer.

IND (105/8 in 18 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (36*), Varun Chakravarthy (0*)  

With the game gone, there is another battle playing out here. India need to see out the full 20 overs to protect their net run rate. Failing to do so could see it take a serious hit and that could have very real consequences down the line. They will need to win their remaining games to guarantee qualification and every run and every ball faced from here on matters more than it might seem on the surface.

IND (102/8 in 17 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (33*), Varun Chakravarthy (0*)  

With the result looking all but sealed, Shivam Dube decides he has nothing to lose. Kagiso Rabada comes back into the attack and Dube greets him with two back-to-back sixes to bring the deficit down. Too little too late perhaps, but at least someone in the Indian lineup is swinging with intent.

IND (101/8 in 16 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (32*), Varun Chakravarthy (0*)
 

Keshav Maharaj is back, and what an immediate impact. Hardik Pandya looked to break the shackles but picked out Tristan Stubbs at long on perfectly, who took a fine catch. And just when you thought it could not get any worse, Rinku Singh walks in with no choice but to get going and he too finds the man at long on. Two wickets in the over and Maharaj is on fire.

Arshdeep falls in the same manner with the same man taking the catch. 

India are folding rapidly, and this one looks all but over.

Hardik Pandya 1(2) c. T Stubbs b. K Maharaj

Rinku Singh 0(2) c. T Stubbs b. K Maharaj

Arshdeep Singh 1(2)  c. T Stubbs b. K Maharaj

IND (88/8 in 15 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (19*), Varun Chakravarthy (0*)

This just seems like torture at this point. Both Hardik and Dube are just not able to get the big shots going now. Ngidi gives away just 5 runs in the over. 

IND (86/5 in 14 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (18*), Hardik Pandya (18*)

Marco Jansen puts up another fine over with both Dube and Pandya unable to get the big shots. I have to question whether India are looking to reduce the impact on the net run-rate or whether they have forgotten that they need to go big. 

IND (81/5 in 13 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (16*), Hardik Pandya (15*)

Shivam Dube is on strike, and Kagiso Rabada is up against him. Dube gets one straight over him for the boundary, but the batters need to keep this up. The bowling changes will be tough to deal with, but they have to get an understanding of their plans to stay on top of the asking rate. 

India vs South Africa, Super 8s Live Score: IND (75/5 in 12 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (14*), Hardik Pandya (12*)

Since Pandya is in, spin is the way to go. And that is what the Proteas did by bringing in Keshav Maharaj. Pandya miscues one but gets it over the line. Rode his luck but enough to get done anyway. 

A good over, but they can't afford to lose wickets here. 

India vs South Africa, Super 8s Live Score: IND (68/5 in 11 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (8*), Hardik Pandya (11*)
 

Hardik Pandya is the new in. He can bat deep, but recent times suggest he has evolved into a more power-hitter role. But there is quality by all means. It will be one for the ages if he can lead India's fightback in this chase to keep their win streak going.

India vs South Africa, Super 8s Live Score: IND (51/5 in 9.1 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (4*), Hardik Pandya (0*)
 

Corbin Bosch strikes again and this time it is the big one. The Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav is on his way back and it is once again poor shot selection that costs India. Deceived by the lack of bounce, he ends up toe-ending it and that is a massive blow for the Men in Blue. Bosch is running through this Indian batting lineup and things are looking very, very grim.

Suryakumar Yadav 18(22) c. D Brevis b. C Bosch

India vs South Africa, Super 8s Live Score: IND (51/5 in 9.1 ovs) chasing 188, Shivam Dube (4*), Hardik Pandya (0*)

Our reporter, Kingshuk Kusari, talks about how there is still a chance that they can take the game close. 

"Does it not look like India are getting out on nothing balls. Kishan, Abhishek, Washi and now Suryakumar - shot selections have been abysmal today. 

But you know, I prefer this over the 2023 campaign. Because at least, you have gotten your one bad day away. 

Having said that, the match is not over yet. The biggest rescue artist, who has the defiance needed to change this kind of game is here on the crease. 

Hardik and Dube did it in the previous game. India still have enough firepower to get themselves out of this trouble ". 

Shivam Dube is the new man in and South Africa go straight to Lungi Ngidi against him.

On commentary, Shaun Pollock laid out exactly how he would approach a batter of Dube's calibre. Batters are creatures of habit, Pollock noted, and the idea is to lure them into playing their favourite shot, in Dube's case, the Supla shot over fine leg.

And almost on cue, something very similar plays out, only this time it is Suryakumar Yadav who takes one on the groin. A painful reminder perhaps of the trap that is being set out in the middle. Is that a warning sign for him? Time will tell.

India vs South Africa, Super 8s Live Score: IND (51/4 in 9 ovs) chasing 188, Suryakumar Yadav (18*), Shivam Dube (4*).

Our reporter Kingshuk Kusari is just as stunned as you are.

"The wicket of Washington Sundar should serve the Indian team management as a warning. To elevate a player to vice-captaincy and then not trust him to be an automatic selection is really beyond me. Essentially, India is telling Axar Patel that neither are you good enough to bowl 2 overs, nor are you good enough to graft or finish a game.

AXAR is the DC captain, by the way". 

Corbin Bosch strikes and Washington Sundar nicks one through to the keeper. And now the decision to bench Axar Patel is facing full scrutiny. Why was Sundar sent in ahead of him? It is beyond any of us. Axar Patel has far more batting ability than he is given credit for and has proven it under pressure on multiple occasions. This one is going to be very hard to explain.

Washington Sundar 11(11) c. Q de Kock b. C Bosch

India vs South Africa, Super 8s Live Score: IND (43/3 in 7.2 ovs) chasing 188, Suryakumar Yadav (9*), Shivam Dube (0*)

Finally, something positive here for India. Both Washington Sundar and Suryakumar Yadav have rotated the strike well. But this could have been done before as well. Nonetheless, better late than never. Washington Sundar creams one for a maximum here to make it an 11-run over off Maharaj. India needs more of this. 

India vs South Africa, Super 8s Live Score: IND (42/3 in 7 ovs) chasing 188, Suryakumar Yadav (14*), Washington Sundar (11)

Washington Sundar makes his way to the crease, and the elephant in the room cannot be ignored. Axar Patel is sitting on the bench, a man who has navigated exactly this kind of pressure situation before and would have been tailor-made for this chase. But India made their call at the toss, and now they must live with it. Sundar can bat, no question about that, but T20 internationals are a different beast altogether. The decision to bench their vice-captain may well come back to haunt them tonight.

India vs South Africa, Super 8s Live Score: IND (31/3 in 6 ovs) chasing 188, Suryakumar Yadav (9*), Washington Sundar (3*)

Our reporter, Kingshuk Kusari, remains flabbergasted by India's batting approach here. Here's what he had to say:

"I do not understand. Sorry. But I do not understand. Right after Suryakumar Yadav came into bat, he showed that things can be worked by keeping the ball along the ground, by not taking the aerial route. He scored back-to-back fours with it. 

The total is not high enough for India to hit every ball. And the fact that Abhishek tried to lift the ball into the sky when India are in trouble is simply beyond me."