Picture Credit: Twitter
David Miller almost pulled off a heist against India in the second T20I between the two teams on Sunday (2 October). The South African batter tilted the game in his team’s favour with his knock of 106* (47) but Proteas fell short of the target by 16 runs.
Quinton de Kock also played a handy knock of 69* (48) and stitched a massive 174-run partnership with Miller. However, de Kock’s strike rate was a bit of concern and probably was the difference between the two teams' scores.
Miller also accepted at the post-match interaction that the wicketkeeper batter was a tad slow at the start but he caught up in the end. The centurion also revealed the conversation the two batters had when South Africa fell short of the target by 16 runs. Miller revealed that de Kock apologized to the batter.
“Quinton obviously struggled upfront but he managed to bat through and give us a chance. He is a capable batter of hitting fours and sixes, so it was just about getting in. As you saw, we were just 16 runs short. He (De Kock) walked up to me (after the game) and said 'Well played, I'm sorry',” said Miller during the post-match interaction.
Indeed, De Kock playing at a better strike rate might have produced the desired result for South Africa. But it was not the southpaw only to be blamed for the loss. A forgettable show from the bowlers and terrible batting from the top order was also equally responsible for the loss. In fact, Temba Bavuma’s 7-ball duck worsened South Africa’s chances. Had Miller not started the assault, the margin could have been even bigger.
Nevertheless, India have taken an unassailable lead (2-0) in the three-match series having won the first two games. With the last game a couple of nights away, both teams will look to end things on a positive note and head into the T20 World Cup high on confidence.