In a nerve-wracking match between two of the top protagonists in T20I cricket, South Africa held their own to upstage India and jump to the top of the Group 2 points table in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

The Proteas bowlers were on the money, restricting India to 133 runs, despite the SKY-show with the bat. While the Indian bowlers came back into the game in the first 10 overs, Aiden Markram and David Miller’s brilliant fifties helped the Proteas to win in the final over.

Killer Miller seals the deal

Calm, cool, composed. Once again, it was Killer Miller time and Perth was treated with his finesse at the end. Derailing opposition bowlers since 2010!

After Hardik Pandya broke the Markram-Miller partnership, it sowed the seeds of belief among the Indian contingent. However, David Miller had other ideas. The left-handed batter took on Ravichandran Ashwin in the 18th over off the game, tonking two sixes to bring the equation heavily in South Africa’s favour.

Proteas spit fire with ball

Revered as the fastest pitch in the world, South Africa exploited the conditions with the ball early on after India elected to bat first. And it happened, again, the thing we dreaded - an Indian batting collapse! Lungi Ngidi wrapped up Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul early on, while adding the wickets of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya in the spell. Anrich Nortje scalped Deepak Hooda and India were left reeling at 49/5 in the ninth over.

Surya, the ray of hope for India

They say change is the only constant. Not for Suryakumar Yadav! Runs, runs and more runs are his constant. Six fours and three sixes, scoring 68 runs off 40 balls. What pressure?

The regular fall of wickets at the other end did not deter the confidence or nonchalance of SKY. While other batters struggled for runs, he provided much-needed fire to the Indian batting on a cold Perth evening with back-to-back fifties, his eighth of the year. The flicks, the scoops, the drives, the conventional and the unconventional were all on show as Suryakumar helped propel the Indian score to 133/9 by the end of the innings. Magnifique!

Arshdeep Singh is ‘King’

At the moment, the sun could rise from the West but it still wouldn’t affect Arshdeep Singh’s first-over magic. The left-arm pacer dismissed Quinton de Kock and in-form Rilee Rossouw with his swinging bolts in the second over of the run chase. The new kid on the block continued steaming in!

Dropped catch, missed stumps and what ifs

The switch clicked in the drinks break , Markram and Miller went on a counter-attacking mode. They targeted Hardik Pandya and Ravichandran Ashwin and heaped on the worries for Rohit. Even Arshdeep had no answers to Markram’s charge.

It wasn’t for its fair share of drama though! Virat Kohli, of all players, dropped a simple catch of Markram, while Rohit failed to hit the stumps from close corners with the batter way off his crease. The tide turned and turned quickly towards South Africa. The 76-run partnership was the key in a well-crafted run chase by the South African duo.

Brief scores: South Africa 137/5 in 19.4 overs (David Miller 59*, Arshdeep Singh 2/25) beat India 133/9 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 68, Lungi Ngidi 4/29) by five wickets.