Southampton: South Africa need just one good performance to turn it around, says J.P. Duminy as the side gears up to take on “big threat” India, a side packed with match-winners.
South Africa is gasping for breath after successive losses in the first two World Cup matches. They were thrashed by England in the opening match before suffering a 21-run loss to Bangladesh at the Oval on Sunday.
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“I don’t think we are far away. We were 21 runs short and we can identify areas where we could have made that up whether the bat or the ball,” said Duminy, after South Africa could score 309 for 8 while chasing 330 for 6 against Bangladesh.
“We are one good performance away from creating a bit of momentum.”
The Proteas will face two-time champions India on June 5 in their third match and Duminy said it will be a tough contest.
“They (India) have a lot of match-winners. From the bowling perspective, they rely a lot on spin and obviously a guy like (Jasprit) Bumrah has been in form, particularly in the IPL. So those are the kind of threats in bowling,” Duminy said.
“... Obviously one of the best batsman in the world in Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni with his experience, so they pose a big threat. But the beauty of the game and the tournament structure is that, it doesn’t matter where you are ranked or which team you are playing. It is about the performance of the day and that is the most important thing.”
India prepare for their opening match of 2019 World Cup at Southampton. Skipper Faf Du Plessis and Aiden Markram shared a 53-run second-wicket stand while David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen put on 55 runs for the fourth wicket but South Africa still fell short against Bangladesh.
“Partnerships are always going to be crucial particularly when you are chasing a big total. You need guys to step up and score hundreds and as a top six we haven’t done that. Pretty much everyone got in but the thirties and forties are not going to cut it.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to partnerships and we fell short. Honesty has always been one of our pillars. It’s about understanding where we can improve.”
Fielding is also an area where South Africa will look to improve ahead of India clash on Wednesday.
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“Something we thrive on is our body language and creating a presence in the inner ring. That is something we can get better on. If you are going to win a tournament like the World Cup, you need good strong characters in the group,” Duminy said.
“We are up against it so we are going to need each and every individual to be a leader in their own game. We need to understand how we can improve. When you are playing in a tournament like this, there is always going to be external pressure but it’s about embracing that.”
