The Springboks became the first team in history to win four titles and the second after New Zealand to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups after they defeated their old foe 12-11 in Paris on Saturday.
It is now over to South Africa’s cricket team, the Proteas, to put the cherry on top and bring the Cricket World Cup back home.
But before that, there is a score to settle before they even consider winning the Cricket World Cup in India.
Proteas vs Black Caps
Four days after the Springboks steamrolled the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup finals, the Proteas are against The Black Caps at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on the outskirts of Pune on Wednesday.
The World Cup rivalry between the Proteas and the Black Caps spans seven encounters. South Africa seeks redemption, having lost to New Zealand five times with two wins. In the memorable 2015 World Cup semi-final, New Zealand overtook South Africa by four wickets.
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The residents of Pune and the world can expect a blockbuster of cricket full of revenge in the air. The Proteas have recorded five victories in their first six group matches. It is already an improvement from how the 2019 campaign turned out for South Africa, which saw then-captain Faf du Plessis’ team crash out of the tournament well before the round-robin stage finished.
The Boks winning could exert extra pressure or prove inspirational for Bavuma and the coaching staff.
“There has been a bit of pressure for us as the Proteas to keep the momentum going. I think we’re doing well so far, but yeah, we’ll take the inspiration and motivation from all those performances from our other national teams,” Bavuma said.
The Proteas narrowly beat Pakistan in a thrilling one-wicket victory on Friday, bringing them a step closer to the World Cup semi-finals and a win against the Black Caps might seal their fate to be the semi-finalists.
As they prepare for the biggest clash of their World Cup campaign on Wednesday, one eye will be intensely focused on their Brics counterpart and the hosts India on the 5th of November.
