South Africa 183 for 9 (Miller 82, Linde 48, Shaheen 3-22, Abrar 3-37) batted Pakistan 172 for 8 (Rizwan 74, Ayub 31, Linde 4-21) by 11 runs

The Killer Miller Show

David Miller has gained a reputation for being a mid- and late-overs bludgeon. But after Shaheen and Abrar struck early, Miller came in at no. 4 in an inexperienced side. And for the next hour or so, he demonstrated how his timing and technique were equal to his power. He took advantage to begin his innings in the powerplay and whipped Shaheen off the pads to get going before smashing him through the covers for another boundary.

Miller had just started and was brutal against spin as he hit Abrar for three straight sixes in the tenth over. He cut through the innings like a scythe for Pakistan; between the time he came on and when Shaheen finally holed him out, he added 82 to South Africa’s 125.

Linde punishes Rizwan’s bet

Tactics are invariably judged on results rather than thought processes and Linde ensured that Rizwan’s aggressive dead-overs gambit cost Pakistan dearly. After Miller fell and Pakistan followed up with two more quick knocks to reduce South Africa to 141 for 8, the Pakistan captain saw an opportunity to bowl South Africa out. Shaheen, Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf were run out in the 19th over; Pakistan might have hoped that South Africa’s innings would be over by then.

But that was not to be as Linde steered the strike and Maphaka’s odd boundary took the pressure off them. That left Muqeem to bowl the final over and when Linde denied a single off the first ball, his intentions were obvious. Muqeem missed his length on almost every last five deliveries; three went for sixes before Linde finally miscued the last ball to cow corner. But South Africa had risen to 183 and Pakistan’s hopes of cleaning them out below par were dead and buried.

Rizbar now, Rizbar forever?

The obituary of the Mohammad Rizwan-Babar Azam opener has been written far too many times to attempt another one. It looked like Pakistan’s days of opening with their two stalwart anchors were finally over, but in a steep chase, it was the two who got out while Saim Ayub sat in the dugout. Both looked rusty and well off the needed pace. Babar could have fallen to Maphaka first ball and ultimately managed the fourth without scoring.

Ayub came in and demonstrated why he is so potent in the first six, his full repertoire of power, panache and audacity on display as he breezed through the remaining powerplay, hitting seven boundaries in his first 13 balls to race to 31. He is less effective when the field spreads out and holed out to sweep the second ball he faced after the powerplay. He had got Pakistan off to a flyer though, and left one wondering how much he could have added had he been in from the start. At the death it became clear how every run would have mattered.