Miller powers Proteas to last-over win against India

A gritty half-century by experienced David Miller helped steer the Proteas to a thrilling five-wicket victory over India in their  T20 World Cup clash in Perth on Sunday. 

Miller hit three sixes and three boundaries to end on 56 not out, sharing in a match-winning 76-run partnership with Aiden Markram, who scored 52 as SA chased down their target of 134 for victory with just two balls to spare. 

It was an impressive victory in trying batting conditions and saw the Proteas move to the top of Group 2.

Earlier, some hostile fast bowling from the SA seamers saw them restrict India to 133/9.

Lungi Ngidi claimed four wickets for 29 runs in four overs while Wayne Parnell picked up 3/15. 

In pursuit of the testing target, the Proteas found batting challenging and lost three early wickets as the Indian pace attack hit good lines and lengths.

Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh dismissed their in-form left-handers early,  accounting for Quinton de Kock (1), caught at second slip by KL Rahul, before he trapped Rilee Rossouw leg before wicket for a two-ball duck. 

Captain Temba Bavuma (10) was caught behind by Dinesh Karthik off Mohammed Shami as SA slipped to 24/3 to end the powerplay. 

At the halfway stage, SA found themselves on 40/3 with Markram (23) and Miller (5) looking to build a partnership. They  returned from the drinks break by smashing 16 off the 11th over to take SA past 50. 

Markram, who was given two lifelines, first via a dropped catch and then a missed run-out, brought up a ninth T20I half-century with his side still needing 39 from the last five overs.

He mistimed a hook shot that was comfortably pouched by Suryakumar Yadav with 102 on the board.

Tristan Stubbs fell for six runs, before Miller, who remained calm throughout the innings, brought up his sixth T20I half-century with a boundary, before two more in the final over carried them over the line. 

Winning the toss, India chose to make first use of the Perth Stadium conditions and they found their way to 21 for no loss after the first four overs. 

Ngidi then turned the game on its head as he struck twice, first removing captain Rohit Sharma for 15, caught off his own bowling, before KL Rahul was caught by Aiden Markram at first slip for nine runs as India reached 33/2 after the first six overs. 

Ngidi was slapped for two boundaries at the start of the seventh over by Kohli, but the right-arm quick got his revenge when the right-hander was smartly caught by Kagiso Rabada running around at fine leg for 12. 

Anrich Nortjé removed Deepak Hooda for a three-ball duck before Ngidi got his fourth of the match when Hardik Pandya (2) was caught by Rabada, running in off the boundary to claim a fine low catch diving forward. 

Suryakumar Yadav took India to the halfway mark on 60/5 and struck three boundaries and three sixes to bring up his second half-century of the tournament as India moved past 100 in the 15th over. 

Parnell dismissed Dinesh Karthik, caught by Rossouw for six runs, before sending Ravichandran Ashwin (7) and Yadav, who hit six boundaries and three sixes on his way to 68, back to the changerooms.

The Proteas lead Group Two while India drop to second, but the table has tightened after Pakistan’s win over the Netherlands in a Perth double-header.

Pakistan trounced the Netherlands by six wickets to keep their  campaign alive, bouncing back to register their first win of the tournament after consecutive last-ball defeats against Zimbabwe and India.

The 17th-ranked Dutch won the toss in Perth but crumbled to 91/9 in 20 overs after failing to counteract Pakistan’s quality bowling unit, led by leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who picked up 3/22.

The world’s top-ranked T20 batsman, Mohammed Rizwan, batted with freedom on his way to a 39-ball 49 to help steer Pakistan to 95/4 with 37 balls to spare.