Follow UsChalk and cheese: South Africa’s skipper Temba Bavuma couldn’t have used a better comparison to differentiate the stark powerplay scores of both sides in the first ODI here in Bloemfontein.
While South Africa struggled massively in the powerplay, where they could only score 25 runs for the loss of one wicket, Australia took gigantic advantage of the field restrictions, piling on 69 runs for the loss of four wickets. On a surface such as the one at the Mangaung Oval, runs came at a premium, and Australia understood that value early on in their run-chase.
"The first ten overs weren't great. We managed to get wickets, but at what cost? That's just a mis-execution thing. If you look at our first ten overs versus theirs first ten overs, it was chalk and cheese," Bavuma said in the post-match press conference.
Despite the contrasting starts, at 113/7, with Australia on the mat, South Africa should have sealed the deal with another 111 runs on line to defend. But that’s where they let the game slip, and Bavuma rued that South Africa weren’t ‘relentless’ in such situations, especially when they had a sniff.
South Africa's squad for the 2023 ICC Men's World Cup
"If you get a team in that position, you expect yourself to be able to clean out the game," he said afterwards. "We speak about being relentless. When you get given a sniff against a team like Australia, you've got to take it. If the situations were reversed, they would have prided themselves on cleaning up the game,” Bavuma added.
Looking back at the clash, Bavuma opined that if anything, the pace bowlers could have made better usage of the short-balls, which caused a whole lot of trouble during the clash, with both teams losing wickets in a heap.
"We will get better," he said. "These are world-class players we have in the team. We don't expect them to keep making the same mistakes."
"It was just our inability to create chances in that innings. I would have encouraged the bowlers to use their bouncer a bit more," he said.
Marnus Labuschange, the Concussion sub specialist
For Australia, it was the miracle man, Marnus Labuschagne, who stepped with the bat when the team required it the most. For starters, Labuschagne wasn’t even part of the playing XI, but the right-hander walked out as a concussion substitute after Cameron Green was hit on the helmet.
Labuschagne took full advantage of the opportunity with a scintillating 93-ball 80, a knock that helped Australia to take a 1-0 lead in the series. During his 80, the right-hander put up a match-winning partnership alongside Ashton Agar in an unbeaten 112-run stand that cost the Proteas.
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"I have been really disappointed with how I've played my one-day cricket, the last 10 to 12 games I felt like I haven't shown the intensity and the courage that I would have liked," Labuschagne said.
The right-hander was dropped from Australia’s 15-man squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. It didn’t, however, shock Labuschagne, who insisted that his ‘lack of runs’ cost him a berth in the World Cup setup.
Australia's strong 15 for the upcoming ODI World Cup
"I wasn't too shocked when I was dropped. I said that to the selectors, I said, 'I understand I haven't made runs'. But I did say that I still want to be that person for you batting in the middle order. And then you've just got to sit tight and wait for your opportunity. And when the opportunity comes, you've got to be ready."
Whilst the teams are allowed to make changes to the squad, Labuschagne only wanted to ‘focus’ on training well and making use of the opportunities that come his way before the showpiece event.
"It comes (down) to your training, I always pride myself on training well, and making sure I'm always ready," Labuschagne said. "The opportunity that happens when you're a concussion sub is sometimes a little bit of a free hit because the pressure of the game is out there but obviously the expectation is probably not as much on you."