Quality and variety make SA a complete bowling attack, says Kumble

Anil Kumble feels that the variety offered by South Africa's pace trio of Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi makes them the most complete attack for the not-always-bowler-friendly conditions seen in the Champions Trophy 2025, reports espncricinfo.com.

On Saturday, South Africa hammered England to progress into the semi-finals. In their two group stage matches (one was rained off), South Africa bowled England out for 179 and Afghanistan for 208 - the two lowest totals in completed innings in this edition of the Champions Trophy.

"I think one good thing about South Africa is that all three of their fast bowlers that played today - of course Mulder is the one who bowls the middle periods - but if you look at the three tall fast bowlers, all of them are really tall. And all of them are different," Kumble said on the news agency's Match Day show.

"Their angles are very different. Rabada is very classical whereas Ngidi is pretty awkward to face with his action and Marco Jansen comes at such height. So all three are very different. So that's the nature you want in a one-day. That's the variation.

"Even on a flat track, it's not easy for the batters to line up because all three are very different. And that's something that South Africa can certainly feel [confident] they have this kind of a quality and also the variety going into the business end of the tournament."

Jansen set the tone in South Africa's win against England, dismissing their top three inside seven overs with his bounce. He also took three catches, including one off his own bowling.