South African head coach Mandla Mashimbyi admitted India wanted the World Cup win more than them but backed his team to give a good go in the next edition. South Africa had made it to the final of the World Cup for the first time but could not bring their best.
India posted a competitive total of 298 runs on the board after they were put into bat. Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma scored 87 and 58 runs respectively.
However, South Africa could not come up with a collective batting effort as their captain Laura Wolvaardt was the lone warrior as she scored a fine knock of 101 runs but none of the other batters could breach the 40-run mark.
“The way India played the game, they came out (hard) in the first 10 overs. We pegged them back in the last 40 overs. There was a time we were expecting them to score 350, 360. For them to not get to 300 was really a good effort from our bowlers,” Mashimbyi told the media after the match on Sunday.
“(But) the way they (India) went about their business with the ball, the way they changed their bowlers gave them the edge because we couldn’t get some rhythm as a batting unit.” “They kept on taking wickets at crucial stages. But they wanted it on the day, I think, they wanted it more than us and yeah, kudos to them. Well done. They deserve it to win a World Cup at home. We wouldn’t want that,” he said.
The former cricketer said it was a humbling experience to see his team’s progress throughout the tournament. South Africa won five out of their seven matches in the league stage, including a win against eventual champions India.
“To see how the team has progressed from the time I took over, it’s obviously a humbling experience for me. But at the same time, I’m sitting here and I’m actually kind of excited because when nobody gave us a chance, we gave ourselves a chance,” he said.
“You look at the team and see where you need to improve, and I know what to do going forward and make sure that we leave no stone unturned.” A respected figure in South African cricket circles for his work across teams from both genders, Mashimbyi also provided some insights into his coaching philosophy.
South Africa will want to keep up the good show.
