Proteas bowlers delivered, says Markram, after SA thump India
· Citizen
While their batters stood up again, captain Aiden Markram was full of praise for the Proteas bowling attack after they coasted to a comprehensive victory over defending champions India in their first match of the Super Eight stage at the T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Chasing 188 runs to win, India never really got going, and the hosts were bundled out for 111 runs with seven balls remaining in their innings.
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The Proteas bowlers were superb, combining well with seamer Marco Jansen (4/22) and spinner Keshav Maharaj (3/24) leading the charge. And though he didn’t take any wickets, Lungi Ngidi gave away just 15 runs from his four overs.
“I’m happy for the bowlers. The start to the comp was tough for them, but tonight (they were brilliant),” Markram said.
Middle-order batters stand up
Earlier, after choosing to bat, the Proteas found themselves floundering at 20/3 in the fourth over of their innings.
Their middle-order batters stood up, however, with Dewald Brevis (45 off 29), David Miller (63 off 35) and Tristan Stubbs (44 not out off 24) carrying their side to 187/7 as they kept them in the hunt.
“We were looking to be nice and aggressive against the spinners,” said Miller, who was named Player of the Match.
“They have world-class bowlers, but we have played against them a lot and we were trying to put them under pressure. It was about putting yourself in the position to do that.”
Looking ahead
Next up, South Africa will face West Indies in a Super Eight clash in Ahmedabad on Thursday. They will then turn out against Zimbabwe in Delhi on Sunday as they look to book their place in the knockout stages of the T20 showpiece.
Markram said it was important for the SA team to put their latest win against the world’s top-ranked side behind them and focus on reaching the play-offs.
“We will enjoy this for one night and then park it. It’s a big game for us but it’s important we rock up and take it on full steam again.”