South Africa got their Super 8 campaign off to a great start by defeating India by 76 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday (February 22).
During the first innings of the match, when South Africa was batting and India were at the bowling end, the contest was in good balance. India’s weak batting in the second innings paved the way for South Africa’s important victory.
Aiden Markram praised Indian bowlers
After the match, South African national cricket team captain Aiden Markram praised his batsmen for making the difference between the two teams. Markram also acknowledged India’s bowling efforts, especially during the powerplay and slog overs. But it was the Proteas batsmen who were on top of their game tonight.
“They bowled well up front and in the death overs, but our batting in the middle probably made the difference. Good effort, but we conceded two runs. The other day against UAE, we were not as connected. Today it was much better,” Markram said.
The pitch was not easy to bat on: South Africa captain
The captain of the winning team also said that the wicket was not that easy to take shots on. The surface was new to them, but the middle-order batsmen were quick enough to understand the pitch in time. As the batsmen became accustomed to the deck, they performed well.
“Great performance. A different kind of wicket to what we had here. The boys assessed it first and then worked out their plans. Pleased for the bowlers. It was a tough start to the contest but they were brilliant tonight,” the captain said.
Markram cites Dewald Brewis and David Miller for match-changing innings against India
Markram made special mention of Dewald Brewis and David Miller for their vital partnership after suffering several early setbacks. Brewis scored 45 runs in 29 balls and Miller scored 63 runs in 35 balls, which set the stage for the Proteas. Later, Tristan Stubbs stepped in and added unbeaten 44 to take the first innings total to 187, which was enough to beat India.
Aiden Markram said, “The partnership they (Dewald Brewis and David Miller) put together kept us in the game. It didn’t feel like the ball was travelling. It was a bit spongy. Trying to hit in place and run hard.”
Chasing a target of 188, India were all out for just 111 runs in 18.5 overs, allowing South Africa to win the match by 76 runs. Marco Johnson was the best bowler in this match with 4 wickets and 5.74 economy rate.
read more:We will learn from this: Suryakumar Yadav after India’s defeat
