For a team who have been knocked out of the tournament a couple of days ago, a team left with nothing to play for, there are two ways to approach an inconsequential match. They can either come out all guns blazing, oozing intent, all pumped up to make a point or they can troop out with drooping shoulders, the weight of despondency and irrelevance heavy on the minds.

At the time of going to print, India were at 58-3 in 10 overs with Johan Botha claiming two quick wickets.

India, thankfully, picked Option A as South Africa — through already to the semi-finals after impressively cutting apart England and the West Indies — were restricted to 130 for five in their 20 overs in the final Super 8s game.

Having opted to bat first, Herschelle Gibbs fell early, trying to pull an RP Singh delivery that was too full for the shot to be warranted. The ball cut in off a length, took the bottom edge, and left the stumps in a mess.

But as Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers tore into the opening bowlers, the game drifted along at an uncomfortably rapid pace. Smith cut with authority, de Villiers pulled with disdain, and the Proteas rocked along at 10-an-over. The introduction of spin, as early as the fifth over, changed all that though. India had fielded the same XI that went down to England at Lord’s on Sunday, which meant Ravindra Jadeja got another game.

The left-arm spinner, three matches old at this level, copped a fair share of the blame for that defeat, his 35-ball 25 dragging down the chase. At Trent Bridge, when his name was called out on the PA system, it sparked a round of boos from the fair-weather section of Indian fans. At the end of Jadeja’s spell, they might have felt differently.

... contd.