Well played South Africa

[ankitj]

First time finalist. The jinx is broken. Next time

 

[Arachnodouche]

Super team despite all the challenges back home, have been real contenders at two world cups in less than an year.

 

[Kirkut]

They didn't choke, just ran into a once in a generation bowler.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Many what-ifs, but this team has reached a place where no other SA team has.

Be proud of yourselves, you fought well.

 

[Sunil1z]

Yes , Commiseration SA fans . We have been at your place thrice in last 3 years . You can build up from this experience for 2026 T20 and 2027 ODI WC

 

[trundler]

They are a quality side and have some of my favourite players going around. Just need to find an AR to take them to the next level which, considering their history, should be easy to do. Hope they bring their A game to Champions Trophy next year also.

 

[BarkingByrd]

Any time you're still in it, against a great side, with 2 balls left you've done well. A couple of breaks go the other way and the result is different. Well done!

 

[centurymaker]

Any time you're still in it, against a great side, with 2 balls left you've done well. A couple of breaks go the other way and the result is different. Well done!

Well said.

 

[Heboric]

I still think cricket is the cruelest sport there is, if I played I would be spending most of my time in therapy.

Unlike rugby union the "cricketing gods" is not South African.

Hard luck lads

 

[Bahseph]

When it was happening I was fully willing to call this a choke but then I remembered watching SA teams lose their head in the field and drop chances/miss run outs,bowlers bowling no balls and wides,batsman getting out in uncharacteristic ways(Kallis in the 07 semi is imprinted in my mind)....

That didn't happen this time. Yeah Klaasen chased a wide one but that's how he plays. QDK hit one down the throat of fine leg but we don't bat an eyelid when he smashes them over that fielder regularly. 30 off 30 seems easy but factor in Bumrah and it was still an even game at that stage. We don't have Jadeja walking out at 8,we have Keshav.

The better team won. But damn am I proud of the team. It didn't feel like an SA performance of old even though they lost. We saw seeds of this in the 50 over WC semi as well. There was fight all the way through.

 

[Dendarii]

QDK hit one down the throat of fine leg but we don't bat an eyelid when he smashes them over that fielder regularly.

Except they'd just moved the fielder there after the previous shot, so I think criticism of him isn't entirely misplaced.

But I agree with you on us showing fight all the way through. And we were even still in it at the start of the final over. If Surya didn't take the catch then an entirely different outcome was definitely possible.

 

[Heboric]

Except they'd just moved the fielder there after the previous shot, so I think criticism of him isn't entirely misplaced.

But I agree with you on us showing fight all the way through. And we were even still in it at the start of the final over. If Surya didn't take the catch then an entirely different outcome was definitely possible.

Yes that catch

 

[ma1978]

It wasn’t a choke. The teams were neck and neck for 34 overs. Then Klaasen who is arguably the best LO batter pulled SA ahead. Bumrah who is the best LO bowler and the pace attack pulled India even going into the final over. Six more inches and South Africa possibly wins. It’s a heartbreaking loss but someone’s going to lose and this genuinely was a toss up as to who.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Yeah only team that legit choked this WC is Australia. Couldn't get it up when it mattered.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Felt for SA, really. They should've won from the situation Klaasen's innings put them in but you can't really point out any silly mistakes they made (apart from that Maharaj single). Bumrah and arsedeep just lifted their game and if not for a miracle catch, they probably still win.

 

[Heboric]

To use another rugby analogy. That quarter-final it was only the Boks who could have beaten that French side. Similarily it was that Indian side who could only have beaten the Proteas in the final

 

[honestbharani]

I think RSA were well on their way to being very deserving winners and we were lucky to have won in the end, even allowing for how well our pacers bowled and how well we fielded. Very unfortunate to not be world champions right now, but hopefully their time will come in the future.

Such a great WC. 55 games, 20 teams, so many upsets, pitches that kept the lower ranked sides in the games, variety of conditions and pitches that helped seamers, spinners and batters. I dont feel it really makes up for last year or the 50 over WC but in some ways, this feels like a more complete and rounded triumph. So proud of our boys.

And best of all, I was in a flight watching streaming with wifi and the applause after we won was just . A very memorable moment.