South Africa desperate to bounce back against Bangladesh

As they begin their campaign this time, more than anything else, they would be hoping for a return to full fitness of their opener Tamim Iqbal and for a bright, sunny day which suits their game more than the murky conditions

Returning to The Oval three days after they were given a hiding by England in the opening match of the World Cup, South Africa are eager to make amends and put their campaign back on track when they come up against Bangladesh today. However, it will not be easy as Bangladesh are no more pushovers. No team can take them lightly, least of all South Africa after a below-par performance in their first match.

South Africa would have gone back to the drawing board and worked on what went wrong for them. They will be looking to plug the loopholes and work on a strategy to make the most of the small moments that they win during a match. They had England on the mat when they broke the convention and had leg-spinner Imran Tahir bowl the first over of the match. And after they got immediate success, they just could not make the most of it. That's one area they will have to look at — on how to keep up the pressure. Moreover, after Hashim Amla was struck on the helmet by Jofra Archer and had to retire, the South African batting failed to take up the challenge of chasing down a huge total. The fall of early wickets took the steam out of their batting. That's another area of concern.

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Besides, South Africa are hindered by the absence of Dale Steyn. The paceman has had fitness problems for a couple of years now. Whenever he is fit to play, it is more like a bonus for his team. Kasigo Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukway are rather raw, playing their first World Cup and Steyn's presence will make a world of a difference. Bangladesh play their cricket passionately, backed by frenzied fans who expect nothing but a win. They would, however, be wary of the fact that the Asian teams on view so far have struggled and that includes Pakistan, who were decimated by the West Indies at Trent Bridge on Friday.

However, Bangladesh are an experienced side who can take confidence from having done well in the last World Cup when they had upset England to make it to the knockouts. As they begin their campaign this time, more than anything else, they would be hoping for a return to full fitness of their opener Tamim Iqbal and for a bright, sunny day which suits their game more than the murky conditions.

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