David Miller and Dewald Brevis led a brilliant fightback as South Africa posted a highly competitive total of 187-7 before dismissing India for a meagre 111 to win their T20 World Cup Super Eight match by a whopping 74-runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening.
Keshav Maharaj (3-0-24-3), Corbin Bosch (3-0-12-2) and Marco Jansen (3.5-0-22-4) were outstanding with the ball as the defending champions and tournament favourites were humbled in a match-up which may yet become the final in a repeat of the previous T20 World Cup.
Miller walked to the crease at 20-3 after four overs after South Africa chose to bat first and crafted a magnificent 63 from just 35 balls his team post a highly competitive total adding 97 for the fourth wicket with Brevis whose 45 came from 29 balls and included a trio of fours and sixes building on his reputation for producing important innings in the most important matches while Tristan Stubbs did likewise with a crucial 44* from just 24 balls with three sixes and a four.
Quinton de Kock (6) was bowled by a beauty from Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-15-3) and captain Aiden Markram (4) miscued a drive against Arshdeep Singh (4-0-28-2) to mid off before Ryan Rickelton (7) was baffled by a Bumrah slower ball which lobbed off a leading edge to Shivam Dube at mid off.
But Miller was at his sublime best with a series of powerful cuts and drives and some deft touches including late cuts between the ‘keeper and short third man.
South Africa took control of the innings in the usually ‘quiet’ middle overs, assisted by two costly Indian errors. Miller pulled legspinner Varun Chakravarthy for six and Brevis added a second with his trademark ‘no look’ straight drive in the ninth over which cost 15 runs.
Hardik Panya conceded just four singles from the 10th – except the final delivery was a no-ball which Miller pulled for six to take 11 from an over which should have cost just four. Brevis pulled part-time seamer Shivam Dube (2-0-32-1) for further maximums in the 11th and 13th overs and the bowler inexplicably over-stepped two balls later – Miller slashed the second free-hit for another six over cover.
Brevis holed out to deep midwicket against Dube in the same over and Miller, having collected seven fours and three sixes, toe-ended a drive against Chakravarthy (1-47) to Tilak Varma at long off.
But India fought back in the closing overs with Jansen (2) pulling Arshdeep to Rinku Singh at mid wicket and Bosch (5) toe-ending a Bumrah yorker straight back to the bowler.
Stubbs initially battled to provide some order and discipline in the closing stages but cut loose in dazzling style in the final over from Pandya (0-45) with a swept four and two sixes driven over long on and pulled over midwicket.
Markram’s decision to bowl the first over of the run-chase proved a master-stroke as Ishan Kishan (0) conveniently sliced the fourth ball straight into the air. Tilak Varma (1) edged Jansen to de Kock, Abhishek Sharma (15) clothed the same bowler to mid off, captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) clipped Bosch to Brevis at midwicket and Washington Sundar (11) slashed a nick against Bosch to de Kock. Suddenly India were 51-5 and there was no way back.
Maharaj collected three wickets in his final over, all caught by Stubbs on the long-on boundary, two of which required ‘step-over’ skills as he tossed the ball back into play and reclaimed it on the boundary’s edge. It was an extraordinary hat-trick. And an extraordinary victory.
South Africa face the West Indies on Thursday and Zimbabwe on Sunday with one more victory almost certain to secure a semifinal place.
SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wkt), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
INDIA: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wkt), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Bube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.