South African batter Rassie van der Dussen believes that South Africa is ready for the challenge against host nation India following their emphatic win over New Zealand in Pune. The 34-year-old helped his team win the match by a margin of 190 runs by playing a match-winning knock against the Kiwis.
Rassie van der Dussen showed off his prowess as a cricketer by reaching his second three-figure mark in the ongoing ODI World Cup. The No.3 batter played a fantastic knock, displaying remarkable elegance and control striking five fierce sixes and nine fours, showcasing his ability to score runs with both elegance and force.
Speaking to the media after the game, Rassie van der Dussen claims that the team is focused on following its strategy and plan for each game rather than being sidetracked by the opposition and wants to execute their plans perfectly on the given day to overcome the opponents.
“Definitely. I think what we’ve done really well is in this campaign is we’re really just focusing on what we want to do and how we want to play it. In our match review meetings, we keep looking at the numbers with the coaches and so far in this tournament, by most metrics, we’re stacking up pretty well”.
“So, at the end of the day, it’s almost irrelevant who’s in front of you. We know if we play the way we want to play and execute how we want to and take the correct options, especially under pressure, then the result is a byproduct of that,” Rassie van der Dussen said.
In their league-stage match in Pune on Wednesday, the Proteas gave New Zealand a target of 358 runs, with Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen scoring centuries. After that, they bowled the Kiwis out for 167 to finish with a commanding 190-run victory and take the top spot in the points table.
Obviously, Playing India In India Is A Massive Event – Rassie Van der Dussen
Rassie Van der Dussen feels that the Indian team had everything under control going into the big game and that they could win if they gave it their all against the Indian squad, even though he acknowledged that playing the host nation of India in their next match in Kolkata would be very difficult.
“So obviously, playing India in India is a massive event. They’ve been playing really well. A lot of experience in their team. They’ve got all bases covered, brilliant bowling attack, and obviously the batting as well. But again, as I said, we’ll go into that game knowing that if we do the things well that we want to do, we’ll be in a really strong position,” Rassie van der Dussen added.
Unless there’s a miraculous turn of events, India and South Africa have virtually assuredly secured their spots in the semifinals. Rohit Sharma and company will try to retake the top spot with a win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai today, while Proteas would be keen to continue their fine form heading into the business end of the tournament.