LONDON – A dismal South Africa tumbled to 191 all out in their Champions Trophy Group B decider against India at The Oval.
Having been put in to bat, the Proteas served up on of the great horror shows with the bat, with three run-outs chucked into a limp offering, which came as a shock to a stadium crammed with 25 000 expectant fans.
AB de Villiers, who had come into the match under pressure, was the first to be run out, and things fell apart after him.
David Miller was dismissed in a fashion that reminded of the 1999 semi-final debacle, while last man Imran Tahir ended the innings fittingly, also run out as he went to and fro at the striker’s end.
The composure that Neil McKenzie and AB de Villiers had spoken of ahead of the match went out of the window as things fell apart spectacularly.
India, for their part, held their catches, and were ruthless in the field, led by the lively Ravindra Jadeja.
Quinton de Kock made a slow 53, while Hashim Amla (35) and Faf du Plessis (36) also made starts, but no one built on that and put India under any real pressure.
Once De Villiers departed, it became a procession, embarrassingly so for the latter stages.
Of the wickets that fell conventionally, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah took two apiece, and Jadeja kept it tight at his end.
India need 192 to qualify for the semi-finals.