The South African cricket team beat India by five wickets with 2 balls to spare to top group 2 at the ICC men’s T20 World Cup in Perth, Australia.
Lungi Ngidi and Wayne Parnell blitzed the Indian batters and restricted them to 133 for 9.
Aiden Markram and David Miller then dug deep with the bat to see the Proteas post 137 for 5 for a five wicket win.
It’s the Proteas second win in the Super 12 stage of the World Cup.
India’s innings
Lungi Ngidi skittled India’s top order. First he had Rohit Sharma out caught and bowled in the fifth over.
KL Rahul followed four balls later, as Nigidi employed the bounce of the Perth stadium to great effect, Aiden Markram took the catch at slip.
Virat Kohli was next in Ngidi sights, out in the seventh over, Rabada took the catch, and India was reeling at 41 for 3.
Anrich Nortje kept India on the backfoot, taking the wicket of Deepak Hooda, edged to Quentin De Kock.
Having taken care of the top order, Nigidi set about dismantling the middle order, and Hardik Pandya was out with Rabada taking another catch. Ngidi would finish with 4 wickets for 29 runs.
South Africa’s pace attack was on song, Wayne Parnell struck in the 16th over, Dinesh Karthik gone for just 6, caught by Rilee Rossouw, India were 6 down with just 101 runs on the board.
Parnell was at it again in the 19th over with 2 further wickets, Ravi Ashwin gone for 7 with Rabada taking his third catch, and then Suryakumar Yadav, the dangerman, fell to a slower ball, out for 68 off 40 balls, Keshav Maharaj was there for the straight forward catch.
Parnell was full value for his 3 wickets for just 15 runs.
South Africa’s quicks were the collective stars, with Ngidi and Parnell leading the way and restricting India to 133 for 9.
Proteas innngs
The chase was off to an awful start, Arshdeep Singh dispatched Quention De Kock in the second over, Rahul took the catch in the slips, Rilee Rossouw followed just two balls later, out for a duck on review, leg before wicket, the Proteas were floundering at 3 for 2.
The pressure was on the captain, Temba Bavuma’s shoulders to kickstart the run chase.
But he never seemed comfortable at the crease, and in the 6th over was out trying to flick the ball over the keeper.
The Proteas batters were fast running out of time to get the innings on track, after ten overs they were on just 40 for 3.
Markram and David Miller started to kick on after the drinks break, and with a bit of luck, were begining to make a dent in the run chase. The boundaries were coming but more so were the mistakes that were being made by India in the field.
The 76 run fourth wicket partnership between Miller and Markram proved to be pivotal.
Markram brought up his 9th T20 international half century, as the field continued to make a hash of things.
But just after South Africa posted 100 runs, Markram was gone for 52 off 41 balls, Pandya taking the wicket, Yadav with the catch.
India turned to spin, and were punished by Miller with consecutive sixes, the victory target was in sight. Miller smashed a sixth T20 international half century looking to finish off what should have been a simple day at the office.
He also hit the winning run to finish on an unbeaten 56 and deliver a second win at the World Cup for the Proteas.
South Africa won by 5 wickets with 2 balls remaining to move to the top of Group 2.
Pakistan defeat Netherlands
Earlier in Perth, Pakistan was too strong for the Netherlands, claiming a six wicket win with 37 balls to spare. The Dutch chose to bat first but could only muster 91 for 9, with Colin Ackermann top scoring with 27.
Pakistan chased down the paltry total inside 14 overs finishing on 95 for 4. Mohammed Rizwan fell one short of a half century, as he scored 49 off 39. The six wicket win is Pakistan’s first in the Super 12 stage, in their third match played in Group 2.
Zimbabwe falls short
In the first match of the day, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by just 3 runs in Brisbane.
The Tigers opted to bat first and opener Najmul Hossain Shanto top scored with 73 off 55 balls ensuring that Bangladesh posted a competitive score of 150 for 7.
Zimbabwe fought valiantly in response as they chased 151 for the win, batting at four, Sean Williams scored 64 off 42 balls, but he did not get much assistance, and when he lost his wicket in the 19th over Zimbabwe’s stand was all but over as they fell agonisingly short of the target, losing by 3 runs.
Bangladesh took their second win of the Super 12 stage.
