By Neil Manthorp.
An astonishing display of fast bowling from South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi and half-centuries from David Miller and Aiden Markram saw South Africa to a nail-biting five-wicket victory against India in their T20 World Cup match at the Perth Stadium on Sunday.
India collapsed to 49-5 after choosing to bat first before recovering to a total of 133-9 but South Africa stumbled to 40-3 at the halfway stage of the run chase before a fourth-wicket stand of 76 saw them accelerate to victory with just two balls to spare with Miller keeping cool under intense pressure to finish unbeaten on 59 from 46 balls with four fours and three sixes.
Suryakumar Yadav fought a brilliant, lone battle for India with a remarkable 68 from just 40 balls (6×4, 3×6) while the next highest score was just 15.
South Africa’s four-man pace attack complimented each other impressively and, although it was man-of-the-match Ngidi who claimed 4-29 the other three quicks all contributed to India’s demise on a fast, bouncy pitch in the Western Australian capital.
South Africa struggled desperately for the first 10 overs of the run-chase limping to 40-3 having been 3-2 and 24-3 with left-arm swing bowler, Arshdeep Singh, claiming wickets with his first and third deliveries.
Quinton de Kock (1) edged an outswinger to second slip and Rilee Rossouw (0) was trapped lbw by an inswinger. Captain Temba Bavuma again struggled with 10 from 15 balls before attempting a ramp shot against Mohammad Shami and edging into the gloves of Dinesh Karthik.
Markram and Miller stabilised the innings but at drinks, there were still 94 runs required from the final 10 overs.
A change of gear from Markram saw 16 runs accrue from the 11th over from Hardik Pandya and 17 from the 14th bowled by Ashwin to seemingly put South Africa back on track with 35 runs required from the final five overs with seven wickets in hand. But a mistimed pull against Pandya to Yadav at deep midwicket saw Markram depart for 52 from 41 balls with six fours and a six.
Offspinner Ashwin started the 18th over with South Africa requiring 24 runs from the final three overs but Miller calmed South African nerves – and kept his own – to hit two sixes back over the bowler’s head to reduce the target to 12 runs from 12 balls before Tristan Stubbs (6) was trapped lbw.
Earlier India openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul struck a legside six apiece but otherwise adopted a cautious approach before Rohit (15 off 14 balls) spliced a hook shot against Ngidi’s second delivery lobbing a tame return catch to the bowler.
Ngidi struck again with his sixth ball when Rahul (9 off 14 balls) edged a fierce lifter to Markram at deep slip with the total at 26-2 after five overs.
There was no respite with Virat Kohli (12) failing to control a hook shot in Ngidi’s next over and offering a simple catch to Kagiso Rabada at fine leg before Deepak Hooda (0) was beaten for pace by Anrich Nortje and edged to ‘keeper de Kock.
India’s top-order disintegration was completed in Ngidi’s third over – the ninth of the innings – when Hardik Pandya (2) mistimed another hook shot to fine leg where Rabada claimed a magnificent, diving second catch of the innings.
Dinesh Karthik contributed just six from 15 balls to a sixth-wicket stand of 52 with Yadav before slashing a Wayne Parnell delivery to Rossouw at cover and there were further wickets for Parnell when Ashwin (7) heaved a slower ball to mid-on for Rabada’s third catch and Yadav miscued a clever slower ball to Keshav Maharaj at mid-off.
Parnell, bowling two overs in the Power Play and two at the end of the innings, returned a sensational analysis of 4-1-15-3 while Nortje (4-0-23-1) and Rabada (4-0-26-0) did their jobs superbly.
The victory moves South Africa above India to the top of the log and victory against Pakistan in Sydney on Thursday will all but secure their place in the semifinals.
INDIA: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh
SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma (captain), Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi.
Meanwhile Pakistan‘s bowlers, led by spinner Shadab Khan, helped them hammer the Netherlands by six wickets in Perth on Sunday for a first win at the Twenty20 World Cup which kept their faint hopes of reaching the semifinals alive.