India hammered Pakistan by 65 runs on Sunday, the day after Australia thrashed South Africa by 64 runs. And here the Pakistanis and South Africans are, peeling their groggy selves off the canvas to take each other on in Birmingham in a game that looms as a crossroads for their T20 World Cup campaigns, reports Cricbuzz.
These teams now have nowhere to go but up. But the grim truth is that, barring a washout, which seems unlikely, one of them will dwindle to another defeat.
At least South Africa, who suffered their smack at Old Trafford, won't have to return to the scene of that crime on Wednesday. Pity poor Pakistan, who were indeed handed their heart on a plate at Edgbaston. It will come as a cold comfort to them that this time no-one will be watching to see whether they shake hands with their opponents. Or not.
Sunday's result - albeit not its margin - wouldn't have come as a complete surprise. Of their last 20 T20Is, Pakistan have won only seven. On top of that, four of those successes were achieved against minnows Ireland and Zimbabwe.
But the South Africans will have been shocked to be dealt with so roughly. They have, after all, reached the final of the last three global tournaments in both formats.
The upside is that bouncing back from a dismal display is less difficult in this format than any other. But it still needs to be done, and that won't happen easily.
Both teams will know that they need to bat far better than they did in their previous games. Pakistan were shot out for 106 in 17 overs with Muneeba Ali's 35-ball 41 their best effort.
South Africa made one more run off two fewer deliveries with Laura Wolvaardt's 44 off 39 and Nadine de Klerk's 22-ball 25 the highest of the lowlights. Marizanne Kapp's 12 was their sole other double-figure score.
Another commonality was weakness against spin. Deepti Sharma took a career-best 5/10 and the Aussies' four spinners - Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Georgie Wareham and Ash Gardner - claimed 8/72.
As three of the top 10 spinners in the rankings - Sadia Iqbal, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Nashra Sandhu - are likely to be picked on Wednesday, dealing more effectively and efficiently with the slow poisoners won't be simple. But it will be vital to the cause.
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