A blistering partnership between David Miller and Dewald Brevis steered South Africa to a commanding 76-run victory over India in their World Cup Super Eights clash. After slipping to 20-3, the Proteas recovered to 187-7, with Miller anchoring a 97-run fourth-wicket stand
South Africa’s David Miller during his 35-ball 63 vs India in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Pic/PTI
South Africa didn’t bring their ‘A’ game with the bat, but they were outstanding with the ball and in the field here as they crushed India by 76 runs.
Despite the incandescence of Jasprit Bumrah, whose three for 15 was exceptional, the Proteas made the most of batting first by choice. Reduced to 20-3 after four overs, they rode on a boundary-filled 97-run alliance for the fourth wicket between David Miller and Dewald Brevis to post 187-7 in their opening World Cup Super Eights tie.
South Africa’s Dewald Brevis (centre) and Keshav Maharaj celebrate the wicket of India skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Pic/AFP
India clawed their way back after the Miller-Brevis blitzkrieg between overs 16 and 19 when Bumrah was at his best, but South Africa carried momentum into the interval when Tristan Stubbs took 20 off the final over of the innings, from Hardik Pandya.
The hosts had lost a wicket in the first over of their innings thrice in the first four games, twice to off-spin, and continued that sequence when Ishan Kishan was gobbled up by skipper Aiden Markram off the fourth ball of the chase. That triggered a rash of wickets from which there was no coming back. Abhishek Sharma managed his first runs of the competition but was one of three wickets to fall in the Powerplay. India were never in the hunt thereafter, shackled by tight bowling, electric fielding and surefire catching to crumble to an embarrassing 111 all out.
Marco Jansen made the early inroads with the sticks of Tilak Varma and Abhishek after Markram’s first-over strike, Lungi Ngidi applied the most pressure with his clever changes of pace and Keshav Maharaj helped himself to three wickets in one over. The pitch played its part when the ball was bashed in off-pace, but it was the intelligence of the South African bowlers and the surprising inability of the Indian batters to problem-solve that proved decisive.
India struck only four fours and two sixes in the first 10 overs.
Brief scores
SA 187-7 in 20 overs (D Miller 63, D Brevis 45, T Stubbs 44*; J Bumrah 3-15, A Singh 2-28) beat India 111 all out in 18.5 overs (S Dube 42; M Jansen 4-22, K Maharaj 3-24, C Bosch 2-12) by 76 runs
One
This is India’s first defeat after 17 consecutive wins in a major ICC tournament. Their previous loss in an ICC event came in the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the same Ahmedabad venue
31-3
India’s score after six overs on Sunday — their lowest Powerplay total in the ongoing tournament
33
No. of wickets claimed by pacer Jasprit Bumrah in T20 World Cups — the most by an Indian. R Ashwin and Arshdeep Singh are joint second (32)
18
Consecutive innings in which Varun Chakravarthy has claimed at least one wicket in T20Is — the most by an Indian, surpassing Arshdeep Singh (17)
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