David Miller overcame bowling friendly conditions to help South Africa beat India by five wickets in the 2022 T20 World Cup on Sunday as Pakistan and Bangladesh also secured victories.
Miller scored 59 not out off 46 balls to shepherd South Africa to 137-5 (19.4 overs) in reply to India’s 133-9 (20 overs).
Lungi Ngidi took 4-29 to help restrict the Indian score, while Suryakumar Yadav scored a counter-attacking 68 off 40 balls.
In the Western Australian capital, Ngidi was named player of the match for helping South Africa beat India in an ICC event for the first time since 2011.
“It has always been my dream to put in a performance like that in a World Cup. But it got pretty nerve wracking ’till the end. I will cherish this performance for a long time,” said the fast bowler.
Opting to bat, India ran into Ngidi who ripped up its batting order with a four-wicket burst.
Rohit Sharma (15) top-edged after facing a short ball barrage while Lokesh Rahul (9) was caught at slip four balls later.
Kagiso Rabada held two tricky catches at fine leg to help dismiss both Virat Kohli (12) and Hardik Pandya (2).
India were rocked by pace and bounce, reduced to 49-5 in 8.3 overs. Anrich Nortje (1-23) dismissed Deepak Hooda (0) for a three-ball duck in between.
Yadav provided resistance with a counter-attacking half-century off 30 balls. He smacked six fours and three sixes to resurrect the Indian innings and put on 52 runs off 40 balls with Dinesh Karthik, who only contributed six runs to the sixth-wicket partnership.
Then Wayne Parnell initiated a double breakthrough, sending back Karthik and Ashwin (7) as India floundered again.
Yadav’s dismissal in the 19th over reduced India to 127-8, and it finished with a below-par score on a bowler-friendly surface.
In response, Arshdeep Singh hit South Africa’s top-order hard. He had Quinton de Kock (1) caught at slip and then trapped Rilee Rossouw lbw for a two-ball duck.
South Africa went from 3-2 to 24-3 as Mohammed Shami had Temba Bavuma (10) caught behind.
But Markram and Miller resisted the flow of wickets, adding 76 runs off 60 balls for the fourth wicket.
Markram hit six fours and a six to bring up his half-century off 38 balls.
He survived two major chances. Virat Kohli dropped him in the deep off Ravichandran Ashwin in the 12th over, and Sharma missed an easy run-out thereafter.
Miller reached his half-century off 40 deliveries, upping the ante with four fours and three sixes.
Yadav finally held a catch to dismiss Markram, but it was too late. Ashwin also trapped Tristan Stubbs (6) lbw to make it 122-5.
Despite the breakthrough, India had no response for the calm Miller who finished off the game with two balls to spare.
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