"I'm pretty okay with wherever I bat" - David Miller after winning Player of Match in 1st T20I vs India
South African batter David Miller has reiterated that he is comfortable batting in any position as long as he is contributing to the team's success. The southpaw played a match-winning knock to take the team to a convincing seven-wicket win against India on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Batting at No. 5, Miller struck 64* off just 31 deliveries to forge a 131-run partnership with Rassie van der Dussen to take the Proteas home. The southpaw has largely been successful batting at this position. Most recently, he played at No. 5 for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022, where he performed remarkably well.
When asked about his preferred batting position at the post-match presentation ceremony, the 32-year-old said:
"I'm pretty okay with wherever I bat, I just want to make a difference. No. 5 happens to be the position for now. I have done well at No. 4 in my domestic career but South Africa is a different story with world-class players in the lineup. Happy to bat wherever and make a difference."
An on song David Miller is just so very destructive. Brutal and elegant at the same time.
David Miller has scored 765 runs in 35 innings batting at No. 5, the most in a single position.
The 32-year-old also had his best IPL season, batting in this position. He smacked 481 runs in 16 games at an average of 68.71. The Proteas cricketer played an integral role as the Gujarat Titans lifted the IPL 2022 title in their maiden season.
"Understanding and winning games consistently gives you a lot more confidence" - David Miller
The left-handed batter, who made his debut in 2010, has finally reached the pinnacle of his career, where he is assuming responsibilities and winning matches on his own.
Miller stated that winning matches has instilled a sense of belief in him, which reflects on his current performance. He added:
"It's belief. I have been around for some time now but understanding and winning games consistently gives you a lot more confidence and belief."
David Miller won the “Man of the Match” for his heroic knock against India 🏏
#india #southafrica #indvsa #crickettwitter https://t.co/0YkgzGCOw9
Coming out to bat in the ninth over, David Miller had an uphill task at hand. However, he steered the run chase alongside Rassie van der Dussen. They went berserk against the Indian bowlers on a wicket where the ball came nicely onto the bat. Riding on a superb batting display, South Africa chased down the total with five balls to spare.
Throwing light on the run chase, Miller lauded his partner for his impeccable batting in the death overs.
He concluded:
"While chasing, you need two players to play a part and Rassie played phenomenally well at the back end with some big overs. It was a great chase at the end of it and we're chuffed with the result."
With 1-0 ahead in the five-match series, Miller and Co. will hope to keep the momentum going in the second game on Sunday (June 12) in Cuttack.