Ahmedabad, Feb 23: David Miller rolled back the years with a stroke-filled fifty before South Africa executed clinically with the ball to choke India and secure a handsome 76-run win in their Group 1 Super Eights match of the T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
Opting to bat, South Africa rode on Miller (63 off 35 balls) and young Dewald Brevis’ (45 off 29 balls) recovery act — 97-run fourth-wicket stand from just 51 balls — to post 187 for 7.
In reply, India never got going as the Aiden Markram-led side outsmarted them to bowl the co-hosts out for 111 in 18.5 overs with Marco Jansen taking 4/22.
Keshav Maharaj grabbed 3/24, while Corbin Bosch (2/12) also gave crucial breakthroughs
Credit should also go to Lungi Ngidi who didn’t take any wicket but bowled miserly and gave away just 15 runs from his full quota of four overs to stymie India’s fightback.
Shivam Dube was India’s top-scorer with a 37-ball 42.
In a bold move, part-time off-sipnner Aiden Markram (1/5; 1 over) opened with the new ball and gave the crucial breakthrough, removing in-form Ishan Kishan for a four-ball duck in the opening over.
India’s star opener Abhishek Sharma ended his hat-trick of ducks to open his account in the T20 World Cup but fell for 15 as Marco Jansen struck twice in the powerplay to have India 26/3.
Miller rolled back the years with exhilarating strokes but Jasprit Bumrah’s superb bowling restricted South Africa to 187/7.
Miller struck 63 off 35 balls and got fine support from young Dewald Brevis (45 off 29 balls) as the duo led a recovery act in a 97-run fourth-wicket stand that came off just 51 balls.
Bumrah (3/15 in 4 overs) and Arshdeep Singh (2/28 in 4 overs) had reduced the Proteas to 20/3 inside the first four overs after they opted to bat.