India's chances suffer as well. To guarantee a berth in the semifinals, they must now win their remaining two games.
South Africa's five-wicket victory against India puts them one step closer to a semi-final position while also endangering Pakistan's prospects of qualifying. Here is a snapshot of the teams in Group 2 with six games remaining.
South Africa
Played: 3, Points: 5, NRR: 2.772, Rem matches: vs Pak, Neth
South Africa is in a great position to secure a spot in the semifinals with five points already in the bank, a fantastic net run rate (NRR) of 2.772, and a match against Netherlands still to play. They will almost probably advance if they defeat the Netherlands and get up to seven points. Even if Bangladesh and Zimbabwe win their last games to finish with eight and seven points, respectively, South Africa's NRR ought to be sufficient to qualify. India still has two games left, against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and if they win one of those games, at least one of those teams won't pose a threat to South Africa if they reach seven.
India
Played: 3, Points: 4, NRR: 0.844, Rem matches: vs Ban, Zim
Due to their defeat by South Africa, India must win their final two games to guarantee their qualification. If they defeat Bangladesh but fall short against Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zimbabwe might potentially end with seven points or more. If Bangladesh defeats India but India defeats Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and South Africa would advance ahead of India. They will be keeping an eye on the weather as well because Wednesday, when India and Bangladesh play, there is currently a 70% possibility of showers in Adelaide.
Bangladesh
Played: 3, Points: 4, NRR: -1.533, Rem matches: vs Ind, Pak
Bangladesh and India are on an equal footing, however if it comes down to NRR, Bangladesh may lose because of their significantly lower NRR. They must win at least one of their final two games against the two Asian heavyweights in order to remain in the running. Regardless of other outcomes, they will qualify if they win both and finish on eight.
Zimbabwe
Played: 3, Points: 3, NRR: -0.050, Rem matches: vs Neth, Ind
For Zimbabwe to remain in the running, they must win both of their remaining games. They will end up with only five points, which is almost definitely insufficient, if they defeat Netherlands but lose against India.
Pakistan
Played: 3, Points: 2, NRR: 0.765, Rem matches: vs SA, Ban
The defeat of India by South Africa has harmed Pakistan's chances. Pakistan may end with a maximum of six points, while South Africa, if they defeat the Netherlands, can reach seven points. If India loses one of their final two games and finishes with six points, though, an NRR matchup between the bitter rivals is still a possibility.
For instance, if Pakistan wins its final two games and Bangladesh defeats India, who then defeats Zimbabwe, all three Asian countries might end with six points and compete for the final slot (if South Africa beat Netherlands and finish on seven). If India loses a game, their NRR could decline, which could be advantageous for Pakistan because theirs is relatively healthy at 0.765.
Netherlands
Played: 3, Points: 0, NRR: -1.948, Rem matches: vs Zim, SA
With zero points from three games, Netherlands are out of the tournament.
As it happened – T20 World Cup, India vs South Africa in Perth
South Africa top Group 2
They defeated India by five wickets and still had two balls left. That is also a statement victory. India defeated Pakistan last week, but South Africa has now demonstrated that they can handle pressure after they came back from being 24 for 3 and limped to the halfway point on 40. At that point, Aiden Markram and David Miller changed their strategies, slammed 76 runs in 10 overs, each scored a half-century, and ultimately secured a comfortable victory.
Don't forget, though, that South Africa led the way on the field. They had superb speed players who excelled at using the short ball. Overall, India's attacks were also excellent. Although they employed longer lengths and discovered swing, both captains ultimately had to take a chance with their spinner usage. Temba Bavuma continues to struggle with the bat and failed once more, but he made the right choice by only giving Aiden Markram one over and using Keshav Maharaj for three.
They combined to give up 33 runs in just four overs. R Ashwin was dismissed by Rohit Sharma, who then used him to deliver the 17th over. At that point, South Africa needed 18 balls to score 25 runs. Even though Tristan Stubbs was dismissed by Ashwin after they took 13 off of him, it was too little, too late.
The rest of the group, especially Pakistan, whose chances of making the semifinals are greatly impacted by this outcome. Due to South Africa's victory, Pakistan must not only overcome South Africa on Thursday; they must also hope that either South Africa loses to the Netherlands or that either India loses to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. For the game between South Africa and Pakistan, I'll be back with you. Enjoy your week.
State of Play in Group 2: Does India defeat hurt Pakistan most?
The Group 2 qualifying stakes are starting to take shape after three sets of games, with South Africa leading and Pakistan still having a lot of problems.
However, there is still much at stake as the squad competes for a place in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup semi-finals in 2022. We examine the current situation as it stands.
Who’s in the driving seat to reach the semi-finals?
Due to their victory over India, South Africa now leads the group with five points.
India and Bangladesh, both on four points, are closely following them.
India has the advantage between the two teams with a net run rate of +0.844, but Wednesday's matchup between India and Bangladesh now seems much more important.
Zimbabwe had a chance after their incredible victory over Pakistan, but after their shocking defeat to Bangladesh, it will require extraordinary efforts for them to finish in the top two.
South Africa is now the overwhelming favourite to advance from the group after defeating Bangladesh by 104 runs, giving them a Net RR of +2.772.
Can Pakistan still make it?
Pakistan needs to do something extraordinary to go to the semifinals after suffering two defeats, both of which came on the last ball of games against India and Zimbabwe.
Additionally, India's loss to South Africa has dealt a further damage to their prospects, making it more difficult for Babar Azam's team to qualify.
Pakistan will have six points if they defeat South Africa on November 3 and Bangladesh on November 6.
Although not mathematically impossible, Pakistan is utterly out of its control, and it is appearing less and less probable that six points will be sufficient.
Due to South Africa's victory on Sunday, Pakistan would not be able to overtake Temba Bavuma's team even if they defeat the Proteas in their upcoming encounter.
A large margin of victory in at least one of the remaining games wouldn't hurt because net run rate could still play a role.
Key Upcoming Matches
India v Bangladesh – 2 November
This particular fixture has the power to completely alter Group 2. With just one game remaining, a victory for Bangladesh would give them a two-point lead over India in the group, perhaps allowing Bangladesh to steal India's semifinal position in the last round of games. India will have a strong chance of making the semi-finals if they prevail over Zimbabwe in Sunday's fifth and final group encounter.
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Pakistan v South Africa – 3 November
Pakistan's match against South Africa in Sydney could be crucial for both teams, depending on the outcomes of the matches that came before them. Even without the possibility of qualification being on the line, it's a significant matchup between two of the best teams in the world.
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Remaining Group 2 Fixtures
2 November: Zimbabwe v Netherlands, Adelaide Oval
2 November: India v Bangladesh, Adelaide Oval
3 November: Pakistan v South Africa, SCG, Sydney
6 November: South Africa v Netherlands, Adelaide Oval
6 November: Pakistan v Bangladesh, Adelaide Oval
6 November: Zimbabwe v India, MCG, Melbourne
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