During the beating super over at Mullanpur, India and South Africa were neck-to-neck, and only one very costly over by Arshdeep Singh was the main reason that it turned into a sentimental showdown. Chaos reigned in Arshdeep’s over as seven wides were thrown in 13 balls, and subsequently, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir was visibly upset and the moment was so decisive that it provoked an enormous debate and discussions both online and offline.
South Africa were given a very tough target by India and thus needed this win desperately to be able to take a 2-0 lead in the series against South Africa which would be unassailable. However, things went downhill when Arshdeep Singh took charge for South Africa’s 17th over.
Once known for his accuracy and calm demeanor, Arshdeep began sending wides off target with ease; his seven wides in 13-ball overs gave South Africa free runs and changed momentum drastically in their favor.
As any bowler knows, repeatedly bowling wides can be seen as a devastatingly costly error for their team and itself, giving runs without much work from either team involved on either ends. Arshdeep proved this fact with his missteps helping South Africa gain confidence and reduce pressure during this high-stakes situation.
Gautam Gambhir was not slow in his reaction to Arshdeep Singh’s over – in fact, it was very intense and quite rapid; as one might expect from a person who is known for their aggressive manner. After Gambhir’s frustration reached its peak, he vented the anger at the same time not only due to the occurrence of the wides but also because of the attention to the fact that they were in a very critical moment – Arshdeep’s over was a turning point in the game, thus, it pushed Gambhir to express his desire for his players to give the team their best when it is most needed.
Gambhir’s reaction was shared far and wide on the internet, igniting a discussion about his emotional portrayal in which many fans and analysts took part. While some understand and acknowledge the feelings of Gambhir thereby sharing the opinion of how pressurized the team was, the other side of the argument was that players are humans too and thus they will inevitably pass through tough times hence, this should be considered as an experience from which Arshdeep has to learn.
South Africa took advantage of the errors made by India to not only equal the series but also to win with ease in their next innings. Their batsmen were highly successful in killing off the over of Arshdeep as they sped towards victory without encountering any great difficulties in their chase thus, it was a perfect execution of their plan which they could not afford to miss.
Arshdeep Singh is one of India’s greatest prospects with the ball and this one unfortunate event should not go on to be the hallmark of his entire career. Supporters were rallying behind Arshdeep and telling him that setbacks are the journey of a cricketer’s life.
In order to draw the best out of his players and secuare the win easily in the last T20I, Gambhir will have to oversee the management of their emotions. Since India are blessed with talent, the expectation is that they will be able to do just that and wrap the series up with a win on Sunday night.
