SA, England aim to bounce back at venue of a previous classic - a T20

JOS BUTTLER SAT there gushing about the enduring beauty of Wankhede when, on the match eve, the stadium premises looked anything but beautiful.

- MIHIR VASAVDA

On match day minus one of a potential World Cup classic with both England and South Africa desperate to get their faltering campaign back on track - Wankhede, much like the rest of Mumbai, resembled a construction site.

It's the last-second hustle that's become India's dubious distinction while hosting major events, leaving the stadium complex dusty, dirty (ironically the brand-new waste bins wrapped in plastic were spotless) and with cables hanging loose that would make old Delhi's overhead wired webs look regal.

Almost like Wankhede remembered, just yesterday, that it had to host a World Cup game on Saturday. The two countries will play in the shadow of the bigger game. That will be the Rugby World Cup semifinal later in the night, relegating the corresponding cricket match to a mere side dish. Yet, the enormity of the game isn't lost on both sets of players.

The two teams come into this fixture on the back of what have been two biggest upsets of the tournament - England first lost to Afghanistan and then, the next day, South Africa succumbed to the Netherlands.

And in all the chaos at the Wankhede, Buttler exudes confidence. It bred from familiarity with the venue where the England captain is one of the highest run-getters in the IPL, having started his journey with the Mumbai Indians. Crucially, the belief also has roots in the fact that the last time the two teams met at Wankhede in a World Cup game - in a similar, desperate situation for England in 2016, it was a humdinger that went in their favour. South Africa set a target of 230 in the World T20, and England won with two wickets and two balls to spare.