Du Plessis: Bigger Tests Await Motie and Hosein Against South Africa and India

West Indies’ spin duo of Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie delivered a commanding performance against Zimbabwe in their T20 World Cup clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis believes sterner examinations lie ahead against South Africa and India.

After piling up a formidable 254, West Indies entered the break with confidence. However, they still needed discipline with the ball to seal the result — and their left-arm spinners ensured Zimbabwe never threatened the chase.

Hosein set the tone in the powerplay, returning figures of 3 for 28. His standout moment came in the third over, a maiden that included the wickets of Brian Bennett and Ryan Burl. The delivery to Bennett was particularly eye-catching — flighted from around the wicket, pitching on middle stump and spinning sharply past the attempted leg-side heave to clip the top of off stump.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut programme, du Plessis praised the tactical awareness behind the move. He likened Hosein’s powerplay control to that of Samuel Badree, noting his effectiveness with the new ball. “You normally don’t associate him with beating the bat on the outside edge. He beats you on the inside quite often. When a ball spins and bounces like that, it shows quality,” du Plessis said.

Motie complemented Hosein perfectly. Introduced after the powerplay, he struck in his first over by dismissing Dion Myers and continued to apply pressure through the middle overs. He finished with 4 for 28, including back-to-back wickets of Sikandar Raza and Tashinga Musekiwa in the 11th over, and later Tony Munyonga in a maiden over.

Du Plessis highlighted the subtle adjustments both bowlers made on a red-soil pitch that offered grip. By bowling slightly slower than usual, they allowed the ball time to spin and extract bounce. Motie’s dismissal of Raza stood out — a flat delivery from around the wicket that gripped sharply and turned from middle to off stump, beating the outside edge.

Together, Hosein and Motie combined for 7 for 56 from eight overs, a stark contrast to Raza’s 3-0-52-0 for Zimbabwe. While the spinners shone, West Indies’ batting firepower also played a major role in the commanding win. Shimron Hetmyer smashed 85 off 34 balls, Rovman Powell added 59 from 35, and Sherfane Rutherford struck an unbeaten 31 off 13 deliveries to propel the total beyond Zimbabwe’s reach.

Despite the dominant display, du Plessis cautioned that greater challenges await in the Super Eight stage. West Indies are set to face South Africa in Ahmedabad and India in Kolkata — two sides with stronger batting depth and multiple left-handed options.

“I’ve seen them in South Africa and played a lot of cricket with and against both of them. Amazing spinners,” du Plessis said. “If there’s a little bit in the wicket, they’ll exploit it. But the real test will come against India, with a lot of left-handers, and South Africa played them well in the T20I series earlier this year.”

For West Indies, their spin twins have laid down a marker. Now, against higher-calibre opposition, they will have the opportunity to prove their impact on the biggest stage.