Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
South Africa (187/7 in 20 ov) beat India (111-all out) by 76 runs in Super 8 clash in Ahmedabad
Under the bright lights of Ahmedabad, the sense of deja vu was impossible to ignore. Back then, on November 19, 2023, India’s unbeaten march had ended in heartbreak against Australia in the ODI World Cup final. On Sunday night, another flawless run met the same fate. South Africa halted India’s 12-match winning streak in the T20 World Cup, inflicting their first defeat in the tournament since the 10-wicket semi-final loss to England, and doing so with authority.
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It had been 826 days since India last lost a match in an ICC white-ball event, a run that featured 17 consecutive wins and two titles. But the return to the Narendra Modi Stadium for their Super Eights opener proved uncomfortable. South Africa opted to bat and, despite slipping to 20 for 3, recovered impressively to post 187.
With heavy dew expected to ease the chase, India were put under pressure for the first time in the tournament. The response never came. Their batting, so often the cornerstone of their dominance, faltered as South Africa’s bowlers maintained discipline and control. India were bowled out for 111, falling 76 runs short in a result that could have significant net run-rate implications. Clinical with the ball and composed after early setbacks with the bat, South Africa outplayed India in all departments, a commanding Super 8 statement that brought the hosts back down to earth.
INSIPID INDIA OUTPLAYED
India’s chase unravelled from the first over as Aiden Markram set the tone with his off-spin, removing the in-form Ishan Kishan for a four-ball duck. Three deliveries later, Tilak Varma’s attempted charge at Marco Jansen ended in frustration, as an inside edge onto the pads was confirmed by review, leaving him stranded on 1 and India reeling early.
Suryakumar Yadav tried to counterattack, carving Jansen for two crisp boundaries, while Abhishek Sharma finally showed signs of fluency. He broke his lean run with a boundary off Markram, upper-cut Kagiso Rabada for six and pierced the off-side with authority to briefly lift the tempo.
Just as India seemed to steady their innings, Corbin Bosch turned the tide. First, he pulled off a sharp catch to dismiss Abhishek for 15 off 12. Then Washington Sundar’s promotion failed to deliver, the all-rounder falling for 11 while attempting to manufacture room. Bosch struck again with a length ball drifting down the leg side, enough to undo Suryakumar, who mistimed a routine pick-up shot straight to short midwicket. The India captain’s 18 off 22 left his side tottering at 51 for 5.
The slide only deepened. A sluggish sixth-wicket stand of 30 off 23 balls drained precious time as the required rate soared beyond 15 an over. Hardik Pandya attempted to shift gears immediately after the drinks break, but his first-ball heave was safely pouched by Tristan Stubbs at long-off, giving Keshav Maharaj a crucial breakthrough. At 86 for 6 in 14.1 overs, India needed nearly three runs a ball.
Rinku Singh’s two-ball duck compounded the misery, pushing the equation to 102 off 33 deliveries. Maharaj then sealed a dramatic over with his third wicket, Arshdeep Singh shimmying down the track only to find Stubbs again at long-on.
MILLER, STUBBS RESCUE SA
David Miller turned back time with a breathtaking 63 off 35 balls, but Jasprit Bumrah’s spell of precision and poise ensured South Africa were kept to 187 for 7 in a high-stakes Super Eights clash of the T20 World Cup on Sunday.
On the eve of his 37th birthday, Miller blended experience with audacity, finding an able ally in the fearless Dewald Brevis, who struck 45 off 29 balls. Their rescue act was badly needed after Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh had ripped through the top order, reducing the Proteas to 20 for 3 inside four overs. Bumrah finished with remarkable figures of 3 for 15 in his four overs, while Arshdeep chipped in with 2 for 28, setting the platform for India’s control.
Bumrah’s opening burst was a masterclass in new-ball bowling. He struck twice in his first two overs, conceding just seven runs and forcing South Africa onto the back foot. When he returned at the death, in the 17th and 19th overs, he was just as unyielding, giving away only eight more runs and claiming another wicket. In all, he bowled 12 dot balls, the equivalent of two maiden overs in the shortest format, strangling momentum just when the innings threatened to break free.
Yet Miller and Brevis refused to retreat. They launched a spirited counter-attack, stitching together 97 runs in just 8.2 overs and shifting the tempo dramatically. Their assault on Varun Chakravarthy was particularly striking. Reading his variations early, they stayed deep in the crease, trusted their balance and used nimble footwork to manufacture the extra split-second needed to clear the boundary. Chakravarthy, who ended with 1 for 47, found little respite as the pair dictated terms.
Both batters cleared the ropes three times. One of Miller’s most memorable blows came off Hardik Pandya, a flat, thunderous strike that rocketed into the long-on stands. He brought up his fifty in just 26 deliveries, celebrating with a slashed six off Shivam Dube. Brevis, equally fluent, eventually fell to Dube’s clever change of pace, mistiming a cross-batted swipe as the surface began to reward truer stroke play.
The finishing touches were applied by Tristan Stubbs, who remained unbeaten on 44 off 24 balls. Calm and calculating before exploding at the end, he smashed two towering sixes off the final two deliveries from Pandya, propelling South Africa beyond the 185 mark and giving the total a formidable edge.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
