David Miller’s explosive batting and George Linde’s all-round brilliance helped South Africa secure a thrilling 11-run victory against Pakistan in the first T20I in Durban, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on Tuesday night.
Batting first, South Africa posted a challenging total of 183/9, recovering from a shaky start. Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed struck early, reducing the hosts to three wickets within the powerplay. However, Miller turned the tide with a stunning 82 off 40 balls, smashing four boundaries and eight sixes. His heroics, supported by Linde’s quick-fire 48 off 24 balls, propelled South Africa to a competitive score.
Miller’s dominance was evident as he dismantled Pakistan’s bowlers with sublime timing and powerful hitting. Linde complemented him, smashing three consecutive sixes in one over before being dismissed. Despite their efforts, Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to contain the South African batsmen in the middle overs.
In response, Pakistan’s chase faltered early, losing captain Babar Azam for a four-ball duck. Saim Ayub provided a brief spark with a quick 31 off 15 deliveries, but wickets fell steadily. Mohammad Rizwan anchored the innings, scoring a valiant 74 runs, and kept Pakistan in the hunt with crucial boundaries and sixes, particularly in the 17th over, which yielded 24 runs.
Also See: Pakistan vs South Africa Series Schedule and Match Dates
South Africa regained control when Linde struck again, dismissing Shaheen Afridi and Irfan Khan in consecutive balls, leaving Pakistan needing 31 runs from the last 11 deliveries. Rizwan fought valiantly, hitting three boundaries in the penultimate over, but fell to young bowler Kwena Maphaka in the final over, sealing South Africa’s victory.
Linde’s contribution extended beyond his batting, as he delivered an impressive 4/21 with the ball, further solidifying South Africa’s win.