Introduction:

England suffered a humiliating collapse in pursuit of a massive target of 399 set by South Africa in the Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Mumbai on Tuesday. The reigning champions suffered their largest defeat of the tournament—a 229-run loss—after being bowled out for just 170 runs, their lowest total in a World Cup game.

England’s batting collapse

England’s batting collapse began in the very first over, when Jason Roy was dismissed for just 2 runs. Captain Jos Buttler (17) and Jonny Bairstow (28) also fell cheaply. When Ben Stokes (15) got out in the 30th over, it was the last straw for England. When Ben Stokes (15) got out in the 30th over, it was the last straw for England.

Reasons for England’s collapse

There were a number of reasons for England’s collapse. Firstly, they were up against a very good South African bowling attack. Led by Kagiso Rabada (3-31) and Anrich Nortje (2-27). The South African bowlers bowled with good pace and accuracy, and they were able to extract bounce from the pitch.

Second, the English batsmen made some poor shot choices. They played too many loose shots, and they were not able to rotate the strike effectively.

Finally, the loss of numerous important players, notably Sam Billings, Jonny Bairstow, and Joe Root, hurt England’s batting lineup.

What went wrong for England?

There were a number of factors that contributed to England’s collapse. Firstly, they were up against a very good South African bowling attack, led by Kagiso Rabada (3-31) and Anrich Nortje (2-27). The South African bowlers bowled with good pace and accuracy, and they were able to extract bounce from the pitch.

Secondly, England’s batsmen were guilty of some poor shot selection. They played too many loose shots, and they were not able to rotate the strike effectively.

England’s biggest World Cup defeat

England’s 229-run defeat to South Africa was their heaviest ever in a World Cup match. It also surpassed their previous record for the lowest total in a World Cup match, which was 185 against Australia in 2015.

Conclusion:

England’s collapse in Mumbai was a major setback for their World Cup campaign. They are now facing an uphill battle to qualify for the semi-finals. However, they still have some talented players in their squad, and they will be hoping to bounce back in their next match.