If there was one thing that defined South Africa’s defeat of Sri Lanka, it was tunnel vision. Fear was surmounted by anger, none more than in the figure of Dale Steyn. Yet an even more salient trait was the doggedness with which they wore Sri Lanka down.

Kumar Sangakkara had arrived into the quarterfinal with four consecutive hundreds behind him; South Africa created for him a hothouse from which he couldn’t escape. Ten days previously, Sangakkara had stroked the best of his four hundreds against Australia in Sydney. Against South Africa at the same ground, he couldn’t buy a run.

Fierce Focus was the title of Greg Chappell’s autobiography; it may as well be South Africa’s theme song for this World Cup. In the past, they could seem too fussed about the opposition, too sensitive to the conditions, their imagination running wild over possible contingencies. For an over-analytical team, which takes professionalism to the farthest degree possible, it could be an immense burden to carry.

Not this time. If West Indies teams of the past decade or so needed some quality time in a labour camp, South Africa needed to loosen up. This is precisely what A.B. de Villiers seems to have done. They cancelled their training on the eve of the quarterfinal, a trick they repeated in Auckland. South Africa are coming round to the virtues of that old management mantra: less is more.

The effect, as they saw against Sri Lanka, was not slacking off, but an increased intensity and concentration. Teams at this level do not need too many drills, not after these many weeks on the road. They need to be physically and mentally fresh, in a space where they can enjoy the task at hand than be overwhelmed by it.

Having played the first bit to perfection, on Monday de Villiers set about performing his second act: deflecting his team’s attention from the opposition. In the business end of previous World Cups, South Africa have worried so much about what the opposition would do that they have forgotten to play themselves. It is a trap de Villiers is keen to avoid.

Asked about what bearing Adam Milne’s injury would have on this World Cup, de Villiers replied: “Yeah, I think it’s a big loss for them, and they will deal with it in their own way. But honestly I can’t go into it too much because what I honestly can tell you is that we’re focusing on our performances. I’m focusing on getting the boys in a good space to win tomorrow’s game. I can’t focus too much on who’s coming in, who will not be playing.”

A few minutes later, quizzed on whether he was worried about the way New Zealand have played, de Villiers produced variations on the same theme. “It’s silly to focus too much on the cricket they’ve played because they’ve played really well. I personally don’t like to focus too much on the opposition. I’ve mentioned that in a few pressers before, that I believe that if we play to our full potential that nobody is going to stop us in this tournament.”

All very well. Except that anyone who saw South Africa collapse in the face of a hostile Indian support at the Melbourne Cricket Ground a month ago would not feel too confident about them coping too well in a similar situation at Eden Park. Against Sri Lanka, South Africa had to confront their own demons. Against New Zealand, they have to confront their own demons plus 50,000 fans who will spare no opportunity to heckle them.

In Invictus, Nelson Mandela fretted over the Springboks as they faced a rampant New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. “We can’t lose,” Mandela reportedly said to himself. “Not so close.”

The Proteas will have to summon the same spirit. They will need more than fierce focus. In what may be the defining day for their country’s cricket, they will need nerves that don’t collapse, bats that don’t shrink and the inner reserves that spur individuals to create history.
(Livemint)