NEW DELHI:
Brad Hogg
criticised the Australian team's lack of preparation for their match against India. Former Australian cricketer specifically pointed out the ineffectiveness of
Mitchell Starc
, the pace bowler, who struggled to contain
Rohit Sharma
's onslaught during the
T20 World Cup
Super Eights encounter in Saint Lucia.
In a remarkable display of batting prowess, Rohit unleashed a blistering 41-ball 92, which included an over where he plundered 29 runs off Starc's bowling.
This explosive innings propelled India to an imposing total of 205 runs.
India's formidable score proved to be too much for
Australia
, as they fell short by 24 runs in their chase. With this victory, India secured their place in the semifinals, where they are set to face England in what promises to be an exciting clash.
"I thought they weren't prepared. This is a worry with Mitchell Starc. If the ball is not swinging, he doesn't change his length quickly enough. And he didn't change his length quickly enough to Rohit Sharma as well when he got hit for 29 runs there," PTI quoted Hogg, a veteran of seven Tests, 123 ODIs and 15 T20Is for Australia, as saying on Star Sports Press Room.
"There was one moment where Rohit Sharma came out of the wicket. And then you saw Starc turn around. And I don't know whether he said Rohit's hitting with the wind or there's no swing there. That was a moment where I thought Australia were in a lot of trouble," he said in his critical analysis of the former champions.
Hogg pointed out that in addition to Rohit's explosive batting performance, the subpar fielding display by the Australian team also played a role in their loss against India.
As a consequence of their defeat to India and
Afghanistan
's victory over Bangladesh, Australia's journey in the World Cup came to an end, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.
"(I knew) They're not going to come back because they were starting just to look at what's going wrong rather than looking for the solutions. So, that's probably where it went wrong.
"And also, dropping Hardik Pandya, it was an easy catch there for Mitchell Marsh, the skipper, with a couple of overs to go. And I think Hardik scored 22 off the next 10 balls. You can't afford to drop
Hardik Pandya
when you've just bought your way back into the game. That was also crucial," Hogg said.
Hogg, at 53 years old, expressed his belief that South Africa, often labeled as chokers, are finding their rhythm at the crucial stages of the T20 World Cup. He praised
Aiden Markram
's team, calling them "amazing," and suggested they have the potential to overcome their historical struggle of never securing an ICC trophy.
Despite consistently being considered one of the top contenders in ICC tournaments, South Africa has repeatedly fallen short due to lackluster performances and misfortune. They have yet to claim a title in these prestigious events.
In the 2021 T20 World Cup, the Proteas narrowly missed out on a spot in the semifinals, losing the opportunity to England based on a lower net run rate. The 2022 T20 World Cup saw them suffer an unexpected loss against the Netherlands, further extending their disappointing record.
But Hogg feels the Proteas have just started to blossom.
"They are just spawning from here. It's amazing. I regard (opener Reeza)Hendricks as well, I really like him as a player. And then you've got to build a wall, they can build a nice spin with especially (Heinrich) Klassen. I expect him to do really well against Afghanistan and get to the finals," said Hogg.
Given their history of strong performances, Hogg is confident that South Africa has what it takes to overcome the challenge posed by Afghanistan and advance to the championship match.
"I think it is going to be South Africa and we have got a really strong squad, good spin with (Tabraiz) Shamsi and (Keshav) Maharaj. I don't plan on the big nations now, and I think they'll have to go out there and play it out again instead and just have that confidence to go with the final side.
"For me, if I get past that semifinal right, South Africa is going to win the final this year. I just think I've got the team balanced and I've got the aggression as well. I really like Markram as the captain. He is correct and very composed. And I also think, we are going to win as a very well-composed team, not panicking and just setting the right conditions," added Hogg.
Hogg also slammed the Australian team's fielding performance in their match against Afghanistan during the Super 8s stage. He described their efforts on the field as "terrible," expressing his disappointment with their subpar display.
In a stunning turn of events, Afghanistan managed to secure a 21-run victory over Australia, defying expectations. The Afghan team then proceeded to defeat a resilient Bangladesh side, securing their spot in the semifinals. This remarkable achievement sent the people of Afghanistan, a nation afflicted by conflict, into a state of euphoria and celebration.
"Australia took Afghanistan too lightly. They rocked up. They weren't at their best. They were terrible in the field. They were terrible with the ball. And at the end of the day, Afghanistan deserved to be there rather than Australia.
"Talking about (captain) Mitchell Marsh, he is probably the bro of the team. He's like Andrew Symonds. He has a lot of fun. If there's a little bit of division in the camp, or there's a bit of argy-bargy, he generally lights the load. So, he's that bro. But the other thing is, Pat Cummins probably wasn't a certainty to play in the playing XI of this World Cup," he said.
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