Delivering a breathtaking all-round performance, South Africa outclassed India by 76 runs in their Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup on Sunday in Ahmedabad, riding on a masterclass half-century from David Miller, crucial contributions from Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs, and a disciplined bowling display led by Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen. Deciding to bat, South Africa had to recover from an early wobble after their top order faltered under pressure, with Aiden Markram (4), Quinton de Kock (6) and Ryan Rickelton (7) falling cheaply.
However, David Miller, using his experience, turned the tables. Walking in amid the early collapse, Miller anchored the innings with perfect authority. His magnificent 63 steadied the ship. He rebuilt the innings alongside Dewald Brevis, ensuring South Africa did not lose further momentum. Dewald chipped in with a crucial 45. Meanwhile, the late fireworks came from Tristan Stubbs, who unleashed a stunning unbeaten (44) to propel South Africa to a formidable 187/7 in 20 overs.
Chasing the target, India had a horrible start. The top order crumbled early as Ishan Kishan was dismissed for a duck and Tilak Varma followed for (1). Abhishek Sharma (15) and Suryakumar Yadav (18) attempted to stabilise the innings but failed to convert their starts into meaningful knocks. India lost wickets at regular intervals, which put them out of the chase. Shivam Dubey was the top scorer with (42), but to no avail. Marco Jansen was the pick of the bowlers, claiming four crucial wickets to help South Africa bowl India out for 111 in 18.5 overs.