AHMEDABAD: South Africa thrashed defending champions India by 76 runs in their Super Eight Group One clash at the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday, underlining their title credentials with a commanding all-round display.
Opting to bat in a rematch of the 2024 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, South Africa recovered from a precarious 20-3 to post 187-7, before bowling India out for 111 in 18.5 overs to hand the co-hosts their first defeat of the tournament.David Miller led the revival with a brisk 63 and was named player of the match after steering his side out of early trouble.
“We played against them a lot as well,” Miller said of India’s bowlers. “So it was just matching the intensity, if not raising the intensity, against their bowlers, and putting them under pressure.“They are good bowlers, but they do bowl bad balls. So it’s making sure you’re in that position to do that.”
India struck early after South Africa captain Aiden Markram chose to bat, with Jasprit Bumrah bowling Quinton de Kock and Arshdeep Singh removing Markram inside the first three overs.Bumrah’s control (3-15) was evident again when he deceived Ryan Rickelton with a change of pace, inducing a simple catch at mid-off.
South Africa’s innings was rebuilt through a counter-attacking 97-run stand between Miller and Dewald Brevis, who made 45. Brevis fell short of a half-century but Miller raced to his fifty in 26 balls to swing the momentum.Spinner Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Miller in the 16th over, but Tristan Stubbs added late impetus with an unbeaten 44 off 24 balls, including three sixes.
India’s reply faltered from the outset. With three left-handers in the top three, Markram opened the bowling with his off-spin and struck in the first over to remove Ishan Kishan. Marco Jansen dismissed Tilak Varma in the next over to deepen the early damage.
Abhishek Sharma (15) and Washington Sundar (11) were unable to steady the innings, and captain Suryakumar Yadav fell for 18 in the 10th over as India slumped to 51-5.Keshav Maharaj then delivered a decisive blow in the 15th over, dismissing Hardik Pandya (18), Rinku Singh and Arshdeep Singh to extinguish any lingering hopes of a comeback.
Shivam Dube’s 42 offered brief resistance, but Jansen returned to remove Dube and Bumrah off successive deliveries to finish with 4-22 and seal a comprehensive South African victory.
