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South Africa overcame its “chokers” tag with a commanding 76-run win over India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eights. David Miller’s 63 off 35, supported by Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs, guided the Proteas from 20/3 to 187/7. Smart tactics against India’s spinners and disciplined bowling under pressure showcased South Africa’s maturity and nerves.

Ahmedabad: South Africa has suffered many heartbreaks and has often been given the chokers tag, especially when it comes to ICC knockouts. The last over loss to India in the 2024 World Cup final after having things in control in the chase was more hurtful.  

David Miller was out in the last over in 2024, and the emotions got over. But South Africa never stops fighting, and they won the ICC Test mace to shed the choker tag for now and won a double super over earlier in the tournament to show they can hold nerves under pressure.  

Miller handled pressure well on Sunday after South Africa were 20 for 3 and led a charge to set up a 76-run win for the Proteas to outplay India in the Super Eights of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash. The men in green and gold can now breathe easy before the knockouts.  

David Miller's Statement

“Look, I think it's taken a bit of time. I've been playing the game for a while now, and it's about making sure that I really do stick to it when there's high-pressured moments in front of a big audience like tonight. It's about making sure that you really stick to the simple things and the basics and do that really well. This game is a game of risks, and you are going to fail as a cricketer, so it's about making sure that you playing to your terms,” Miller said after the match.  

The South African left-hander admitted it wasn’t easy playing against defending champions who were on a 12-match winning streak in the T20 World Cups. He, though, made it look easy with stroke play in the middle. 

“No, it wasn't easy. Playing against India is always really difficult, and they've got an incredible team and players. We played a lot against them and with them as well for the IPL on that and when it's two big teams like that it's about making sure that you do the simple things for longer period of time when the pressure does come you kind of absorb it get through that and like I said it takes a team effort so scoring 187 I think we got I thought it was a fair total,” he said.  

Miller said that South Africa is not allowing itself to get that far ahead after the incredible win against India.  "They are beatable," he said.

"India comes with, as I mentioned, an incredible team, but I think for us in a tournament like this, it's about making sure that we do, as I said, I keep going back to the simple things and making sure that we stay in our lane as a player and do the job and get the job done. We're a mature team. A lot of guys have played together, and a lot of cricket for South Africa and that goes a long way under pressure. So I think it's just staying in your lane, making sure that you get the job done and keep wanting more,” he added.  

Calculated attack on Chakravarthy

South Africa was struggling big time when Miller shifted tempo with two well-placed boundaries of India’s key spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Miller kept attacking Chakravarthy to negate his threat and get 47 runs from his four overs. Miller was dismissed by the same bowler in his last over but not before scoring 63 in 35 balls and putting Proteas in control with a 97-run stand with Dewald Brevis (45). Tristan Stubbs (44 not out) finished clinically to ensure South Africa finish at 187/7 despite Jasprit Bumrah (3 for 15) and Arshdeep Singh (2 for 28) conceding just 43 runs in their combined eight overs and picking five wickets. 

“He's (Varun) a world-class bowler, and he has had huge success. So I think for us it was more just, I mean, it's not like in the past where we've been quite tentative but I think it's just about really making sure that we were on it in terms of if he bowls a bad ball we got to put it away - so a little bit more intent And it wasn't spinning too much tonight, so you can kind of trust the line,” Miller said about the tactic to attack Chakravarthy in the post-match press conference here on Sunday. 

Miller praised bowlers for executing plans well. “The guys executed really, really well. I thought they changed up quite a lot. Lungi Ngidi is coming in and bowling a lot of slow balls. There's a lot of planning that does go towards it. Yeah, so look, Keshav Maharaj. I mean he's an experienced player, he's bowled a lot of overs his life and been in pressured situations, and it is difficult to come in and bowl to six lefties, but I thought he did so well,” he said.  

The middle-order aggressive batter acknowledged that skipper Aiden Markram was a nice option against Indian left-handed openers, and they had figured it out. 

"We've watched other games, and it was just something that - it was nice just to have both left-handers; you've got us ball-spinning away. It gives some sort of option where if it's not turning, it can go straight through the gate, or if it does hold a little bit, as it did, it gives you that hope that we can get a wicket in the first over,” he said.