Johannesburg - The Proteas batting folded in embarrassing fashion in the final One-Day International against India on Tuesday, with the tourists dismissed for just 99 in 27.1overs in Delhi.
With the series square at one match apiece, the Proteas failed to come to terms with tricky conditions and good bowling from India and will almost certainly have to go through the World Cup qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, to secure their berth in 2023 50-over World Cup.
It was the second lowest total in ODIās by South Africa, only eclipsed by the 83 made against England in Nottingham in 2008.
It was another sign of the alarming inconsistency the Proteas have had with the bat, something that this series against India has highlighted.
It took David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen to rescue the team in the first match, but in the second match on Sunday, the loss of two quick wickets late in the innings, saw the Proteas fail to reach a defendable total.
Tuesday was simply a horror show. Conditions werenāt easy, with heavy overnight showers that continued through the morning in the Indian capital, making the toss vital. Shikhar Dhawan won it and understandably chose to bowl.
š INNINGS CHANGE
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 11, 2022
Heinrich Klaasen top-scored with 34 as we are dismissed for 99 in the final game of the 3-match ODI series
#INDvSA #BePartOfIt
The two balls seamed, bounced, swung and spun, and were certainly favourable for the bowlers. However the lack of application was deeply concerning. Quinton de Kock was too easily flummoxed by Washington Sundar as he carved a short wide ball to Avesh Khan at backward point in the third over.
His opening partner Janneman Malan scored 15 and was caught at deep square leg, exactly one ball after a fielder was positioned there. Reeza Hendricks was dismissed trying to deflect a bouncer from Mohammad Siraj to fine leg, but the ball went straight to a fielder positioned at short fine leg.
That left the Proteas 26/3 after 10 overs, with the innings badly in need of repair. That never happened because Indiaās spinners then got to work.
Aiden Markram got a thin outside edge to Shahbaz Ahmed, Miller, who was captaining the side, saw a delivery from Sundar spin back into him, through the gap between bat and pad dislodging the off bail, while Andile Phehlukwayo, one of three changes to the team that lost on Sunday, missed a cut and was bowled.
Innings Break!
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 11, 2022
Superb bowling peformance from #TeamIndia! š š
4ā£ wickets for @imkuldeep18
2ā£ wickets each for Shahbaz Ahmed, @mdsirajofficial & @Sundarwashi5
Over to our batters now. š š
Scorecard š https://t.co/XyFdjV9BTC #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/B2wUzvis4y
Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen - who came into the starting team in place of Keshav Maharaj, who didnāt feel well on Tuesday morning - were the only batters to show a modicum of application. Klaasen struck four boundaries in his innings of 34 that came off 42 balls, while Jansen, playing just his third ODI, made 14 off off 19 balls - the third highest score in the Proteas innings
Although the presence of the Proteas team in a pre-World Cup qualifying event is somewhat embarrassing, the way the team has played means nothing can be taken for granted in that tournament.
In 22 ODIs since the Pakistan series in South Africa last year , the Proteas have a 9-9 win/loss record, which has put them firmly on the backfoot as far as the automatic qualifying is concerned.
@shockherhess