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Proteas' World Cup nightmare continues with India beating

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Kagiso Rabada (Getty)
Kagiso Rabada (Getty)

Southampton - There were positives, particularly with the ball, but all that really matters is that the Proteas are 0 from 3 at the 2019 Cricket World Cup after losing by 6 wickets with 15 balls to spare to India at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. 

It leaves them with one foot out of the tournament door already. 

With six pool matches left to play, there is no room left for error at all, and with weather expected to play a part at some stage, South Africa will need a large slice of luck too. 

The semi-finals and a play at a first ever World Cup crown now seem a million miles away, and while they have had serious injury troubles in their bowling department this week, the issue on Wednesday was the batting. 

South Africa could only muster 227/9 in their 50 overs, and while India did not have it all their own way, they were largely comfortable in their chase. 

Faf du Plessis won the toss and opted to bat against a side considered the best chasing side in world cricket, and what followed was a top-order performance that did not inspire any confidence. 

Jasprit Bumrah's opening spell of 2/13 from five overs ensured that the Proteas were on the back foot from the start with openers Hashim Amla (6 off 9) and Quinton de Kock (10 off 17) back in the hut early. 

There was resistance from Du Plessis (38 off 54), David Miller, (31 off 40) and Rassie van der Dussen (22 off 37), but at 89/5 South Africa had already failed with the bat and faced a mountain to get back into the contest. 

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was the chief destroyer, finishing with 4/51 from 10, and South Africa had to rely on some gritty performances from their lower order to post their 227/9

Chris Morris top-scored with 42 off 34, while there were gutsy knocks from Andile Phehlukwayo (34 off 61) and Kagiso Rabada (31* off 35). 

It was never likely to be enough, but it did at least give South Africa something to bowl at. 

With Dale Steyn on his way back to South Africa and Lungi Ngidi out with a hamstring strain, the Proteas needed Rabada (2/39 in 10) to stand up, and that is exactly what they got. 

With the new ball in hand, the 24-year-old was fired up and delivered his best spell of the tournament so far. He could have had both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan out within his first couple of overs, but both batsmen were lucky to survive scares with the ball dropping in between and just short of the fielders. 

Rabada, who bowled quickly while generating movement through the air and off the surface, did get the breakthrough when he had Dhawan (8 off 12) caught behind with the first ball of his third over. 

The left-hander was trapped on the crease and beaten for pace as he feathered one through to De Kock, and Rabada was absolutely pumped in his celebration as he gave the Proteas a sniff. 

Virat Kohli was in next, and the skipper took a while to get going as India recovered from their early wobble. 

It was Phehlukwayo who removed the danger man, drawing an edge from Kohli (18 off 34) that flew to De Kock, who dived to his right to cling on to one of the catches of the tournament so far. 

At 54/2, South Africa were up for it once more and fancying their chances.  

Sharma, though, had other ideas and he got better and better as his innings progressed. 

There was also no impact from spinners Imran Tahir (0/58 in 10) and Tabraiz Shamsi (0/54 in 9) that Du Plessis would have hoped for, and while Morris (1/36 in 10) and Phehlukwayo (1/40 in 8.3) were good on the day, there was way too much riding on Rabada.

He did have KL Rahul out for 26, caught in the covers by Du Plessis, but that brought in MS Dhoni (34 off 46), who was a picture of calm having been in this position so many times before. 

Sharma (122* off 144) rode his luck in the early stages, but by the time he got to his century he was scoring freely all around the park. 

The killer blow for South Africa came in Rabada's 9th over when Sharma got underneath a short ball from Rabada only to top edge the ball high into the Southampton sky. 

Miller, one of the safest pair of hands in the South African side, somehow dropped an absolute sitter of a catch in a moment that summed up the Proteas' World Cup campaign so far. 

Morris had Dhoni caught and bowled, but by then the result was beyond doubt. 

South Africa are next in action when they take on the West Indies on Monday, also in Southampton. 

@LloydBurnard is in England covering the 2019 Cricket World Cup for Sport24 ... 

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