IRE vs SA 2021: Has David Miller found his form at the right time?
David MIller has been a key batsman for South Africa for years now. His ability to finish games separates him from the crowd. While he has been struggling for form of late, he's finally struck gold again. The southpaw finished as the highest run scorer in the three-match T20I tournament against Ireland.
Miller scored 139 runs and was dismissed only once. He started off the series with a 21-ball 28. Though not a great knock by his standards, it showed that he was getting back in the groove. The 32-year-old built on this form in the second T20I. South Africa were reeling at 58-5 before he came to their rescue.
David Miller scored an unbeaten 75 off 44 balls in a knock which included four boundaries and five maximums. He played the situation well and began on a cautious note. His score of 20 from 20 at the end of 12 overs indicates that he was looking to save his wicket. Miller then started accelerating and got to fifty off 37 balls.
David Miller took the attack to Joshua Little in the final over of the innings. He hit four sixes to take South Africa to a match-winning total of 159 runs. This game clearly showed that 'Killer Miller' was back. He took his time to settle in and then proceeded to take the Irish bowlers apart, and was adjudged Man of the Match for the brilliant knock.
In the third T20I, South Africa got off to a great start. The first wicket fell after 15.2 overs and Miller was sent in at number three to score quick runs. He did not disappoint. Finishing with an unbeaten 36 off 17 balls, he once again helped South Africa achieve a perfect end to their innings. They won the series 3-0 and David Miller was adjudged Man of the Series for his amazing performance throughout.
David Miller is key to South Africa's T20 World Cup effort
South Africa will be pleased with David Miller's good form. The ICC T20 World Cup is just around the corner and Miller promises to be a very important component of South Africa's batting line-up. They have been placed in the same group as England, Australia, and West Indies and are being considered the weakest side among the four.
The Proteas will, no doubt, be eager to prove their critics wrong and win their first T20 World Cup title. Lately, South Africa have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. They've often faced flak for leaving out black players due to racial bias. Now they're under fire for leaving out some of their best players for reasons unknown.
The entire AB de Villiers episode was hardly flattering for Cricket South Africa. People attacked the board for losing out on the best batsmen in the country. With de Villiers finally stating that he's not coming out of retirement, it's now time for the team to make the most of the resources they have. To that end, David Miller would be one of the most potent weapons in their T20 World Cup arsenal.
Miller has often shown in the past that he has the ability to play big match winning knocks. He has done it in both the IPL and international cricket. The problem for the 32-year-old, however, has been his consistency. He goes through long patches where he struggles to score and puts his spot under the scanner.
David Miller will be looking to overcome these concerns and prove himself an asset to his IPL team as well as his national side. The IPL will be held in the UAE, which could be a solid opportunity for Miller to get ready for the T20 World Cup. He represents the Rajasthan Royals and will be hoping for some game time ahead of the all-important ICC tournament.