Australia battle through slow start, rain delay to clinch ODI series
Australia have sealed victory in the best-of-three one-day international series against South Africa, avenging their upset loss in match two with a rain-affected 110-run…
South Africa were beaten 4-1 in the recent one-day series against Australia, but captain AB de Villiers says his side still deserves to be favourite for the World Cup.
The Proteas played five one-day games in 10 days on their recent tour, a reconnaissance mission for the tournament that Australia and New Zealand are co-hosting in three months.
They were defeated in Perth, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney as Australia reclaimed top spot on the International Cricket Council’s one-day rankings.
South Africa’s only 50-over win on the tour came at the WACA, where they lost seven wickets while chasing a target of 155.
But De Villiers believes it would be foolish to read too much into the results.
“Playing in their home country, they will be one of the favourites,” de Villiers said on returning to Johannesburg.
“But I still believe we’re the better team, and we will be the team to beat at the World Cup.
“There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind we’re the better team.
“We didn’t play the big moments as well as we wanted to. I really believe we could’ve beaten them 4-1 on another day, but it’s easy to say that now.”
De Villiers, who is nursing a cracked rib and will be sidelined for three weeks, suggested the tours to New Zealand and Australia had provided some good lessons.
“(Coach) Russell (Domingo) and I made a lot of notes. We are definitely more prepared than what we would have been if we didn’t go on the tour,” he said.
The Proteas are yet to shake their chokers tag at the World Cup, with a handful of star-studded sides having failed to progress beyond the semi-finals.
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