While spotlight has been on the batters, Proteas bowlers are shining

Four times in the 2023 Cricket World Cup when Kagiso Rabada and the rest of the Proteas bowlers have stepped onto the field to do their particular jobs, they’ve had targets in excess of 350 to defend.

The Proteas arrived in Kolkata on Thursday evening and will have just one training session at Eden Gardens on Saturday ahead of what is becoming one of the most-hyped matches of the World Cup, against the hosts at that storied venue on Sunday.

“Those big totals do bring wicket-taking opportunities, because the opposition batters have to go after the ball,” Rabada said, after playing his part in helping South Africa defend a target of 358 against New Zealand in Pune on Wednesday night. 

Given all the runs they have had to work with, complacency would be understandable for the bowlers. But this tournament features some of the most majestic batting talent in the game, many schooled in the T20 format, who put a premium on aggression. That demands bowlers be switched on from the get-go.

In their first match against Sri Lanka they learnt they couldn’t afford to slack off, even though they had more than 400 to defend.

Sri Lanka blitzed the power play, scoring at more than 10 runs an over, briefly flirting with an unlikely victory. Otherwise, however, the Proteas bowlers have been able to exert control against the opposition batters. In six of the seven matches, they have bowled teams out, and they only occasion they didn’t was in the rain reduced encounter with the Netherlands, which they lost.

“When the batters put up big totals, it means we have runs to defend. However, we almost make it irrelevant how much the batters have scored. We are focused on our own targets as a bowling and fielding unit,” Rabada said.

Those goals are centred on the opening 10-over power play — when just two fielders are allowed on the boundary. No team has wrought more devastation among opposition batting line-ups in that period than the Proteas. 

After their huge win against New Zealand on Wednesday, South Africa have taken 18 wickets in the first power play. That is well ahead of the next best team India, even with Jasprit Bumrah and Co taking six Sri Lankan wickets in the opening 10 overs on Thursday.

South Africa’s success is being led by Marco Jansen, who has been potent in that period, taking 12 of his 16 tournament wickets in the first 10 overs.

“He is hitting great lengths, he’s swinging the ball both ways and he’s got a great bumper. If you have that in your artillery and you execute more often than you don’t, you’ll be successful,” Rabada said.

With the batters getting all the plaudits, that Jansen has so quickly taken ownership of the new-ball role is a factor that has largely been overlooked in South Africa’s successful start to this tournament. 

Rabada with three wickets, Lungi Ngidi with two and Lizaad Williams with Shakib Al Hasan’s scalp against Bangladesh have played their parts too, putting opposing batting units under severe pressure, which is benefiting the spinners too.

“The fast bowlers deserve credit for how they have performed in the power play,” said Keshav Maharaj, who bagged a “four-fer” in Pune. “It allows you as a spinner to just settle in and do your job.”

Jansen has got his wickets in different ways, targeting the stumps or by getting the ball to swing. His height allows him to extract bounce naturally, regardless of the surface, something to which Devon Conway can attest.

Having also demonstrated his prowess with the bat, Jansen has quickly become one of the emerging stars at this tournament, and it is worth remembering he only made his debut in ODIs at the start of last year. The doubts about his suitability for the No 7 spot have largely been assuaged in the last few weeks.

“He’s a natural bowler, has a natural action, he can swing it, nip it, he’s gifted with a talent for just bowling and making it look natural. When he is on top of his game, this is what you can expect to see, whether he is a rookie or not.” Rabada said, adding with a smile: “He bowls from 18m above the ground, so that also helps.”