Ahmedabad, Feb 23 (NationPress) Following India's staggering 76-run defeat to South Africa in their Super 8s opener, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate voiced his discontent regarding the team's performance. He emphasized that in pursuit of a World Cup title, one should not anticipate players to deliver the trophy only halfway through the tournament.

This match marked India's first loss in the T20 World Cup, ending a remarkable 12-match winning streak as they fell to the Proteas in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

"I'm very disappointed with our performance. However, when aiming for a World Cup victory, you shouldn't expect anyone to hand over the trophy mid-tournament. We recognize that we made several errors tonight. Typically, you might be permitted one mistake during this competitive phase," ten Doeschate remarked during the post-match conference.

With this significant setback in Ahmedabad, India faces a challenging road to defend the title they notably secured in Barbados in 2024. The defending champions will likely need to secure wins against Zimbabwe and the West Indies in their remaining Super Eight matches to advance to the semi-finals; however, a single victory may suffice if the Proteas remain unbeaten.

"We've stumbled significantly, and now it’s up to this group to rebound with two strong performances against Zimbabwe and the West Indies. Given the group dynamics, at least four points are necessary for progression, requiring two major turnarounds from everyone involved," he added.

Addressing the decision to select Washington Sundar over vice-captain Axar Patel, ten Doeschate explained it was due to the three left-handers present in South Africa's top five.

"Our analysis indicated that the primary threats would be Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickleton, and David Miller. When choosing between the two (Washington Sundar and Axar Patel), we opted for a player who could bowl effectively during the powerplay.

"While Axar can bowl in the powerplay, we believe Washi has developed his effectiveness in that phase. Although he didn’t bowl in the powerplay tonight, our decision was based on who can bowl through the middle overs, which would favor Axar. Our strategy was centered around that, and in a tournament like this, we expect all players to recognize that the intention was to select the best eleven to secure the win. I hope Axar understands this in the same spirit," he added.

Reflecting on the struggles of top-order batters Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, the assistant coach stated, "I won’t make excuses for Abhi or Tilak; they don’t need them. However, Abhi’s preparation for the World Cup was affected by food poisoning, which has hindered his development at this stage.

"We want him to be confident in his swing and game plan. Scoring three zeros can weigh heavily on a player. I noticed some positive signs during practice on Friday night; I mentioned it during the press conference then. But he appears to be a bit underprepared, and it's our responsibility as coaching staff to rectify that. We have four days to achieve this," he concluded.