T20 World Cup 2021, Australia vs South Africa: Who won today's match?
Australia defeated South Africa by five wickets in Match 13 of the T20 World Cup 2021 in Abu Dhabi to get their campaign off to a confident start.
Bowling first after winning the toss, Australia’s bowlers combined brilliantly to restrict the Proteas to 118 for 9. In response, South Africa reduced Australia to 38 for 3. However, Steven Smith (35) and Marcus Stoinis (24*) played fine cameos as the Aussies won with two balls to spare.
Anrich Nortje struck early for South Africa in their defence of 118 as Australian skipper Aaron Finch (0) sliced a short and wide delivery straight to third man. David Warner tried to hit his way out of poor form, smacking Kagiso Rabada for two fours in the third over.
However, Rabada had the last laugh in his next over. While Warner managed another boundary of the bowler, he perished for 14, slicing a drive to backward point, where Heinrich Klaasen took a smart catch.
Australia ended the powerplay on a jittery 28 for 2, which soon became 38 for 3 as Mitchell Marsh (11) whipped Keshav Maharaj straight into the hands of deep midwicket. South Africa were alive and kicking.
Mitchell Marsh attempts a flick against Keshav Maharaj but picks out the man in the deep!
He is gone for 11.
We have a game on our hands 💪
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Smith calmed the nerves for Australia, milking the bowling. As the pressure began to ease, Glenn Maxwell brought up the switch hit against Tabraiz Shamsi. However, South Africa gave themselves an outside chance when Smith was brilliantly caught by Aiden Markram off Anrich Nortje’s bowling for 35.
The Aussie batter pulled a short ball over midwicket but Markram charged to his right from wide long-on and pulled off a spectacular running catch. Next, Shamsi cleaned up Maxwell for 18 as the Big Show, for once, missed his reverse sweep. At 81 for 5, the contest was alive again.
Aiden Markram 😲
He pulls off an absolute stunner of a catch which leads to the dismissal of Steve Smith for 35!
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Matthew Wade came in and picked Rabada for two boundaries in the 17th over. The equation came down to 18 off the last two overs. The penultimate over bowled by Nortje saw him drop a tough catch of Stoinis in his follow-through. Off the penultimate ball, the Aussie all-rounder smashed a short ball over midwicket for four.
With eight needed off the last over, Stoinis clubbed Dwaine Pretorius for two fours to seal a tight win for Australia. The Proteas bowlers fought hard, but in the end, they just did not have enough runs on the board.
Nervous South Africa held to 118 for 9 against relentless Australia
South Africa came up with an unconvincing batting effort to be restricted to 118 for 9 after being sent into bat by Australia. Except Aiden Markram, no Proteas batter could stand up to the Aussie challenge as Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc all claimed two scalps each. Glenn Maxwell (1/24) and Pat Cummins (1/17) also chipped in as Australia came up with a complete bowling effort.
South Africa began their innings on a confident note as skipper Temba Bavuma crunched two boundaries off Mitchell Starc in the first over. However, Maxwell cleaned him up for 12 with a quicker one that rushed through his defence. Hazlewood then dismissed Rassie van der Dussen (2), getting him to nick a perfectly pitched away-going delivery.
What happened there? 😲
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Quinton de Kock’s (7) bizarre dismissal was an early indication that this was not going to be South Africa’s day, at least not with the bat. The left-hander attempted to scoop a back of a length delivery from Hazlewood. The ball took the edge, lobbed up and landed straight back on the stumps as the batter could only watch in disbelief.
Heinrich Klaasen (13) hit a couple of meaty fours before presenting a leading edge off Pat Cummins to backward point. David Miller and Markram raised hopes by batting out a few overs but Zampa undid South Africa’s hard work by striking twice in the 14th over. Miller (16) was trapped plumb in front, missing his sweep, while Dwaine Pretorius (1) was caught behind attempting a cut off that delivery that zipped through.
Keshav Maharaj’s (0) run out summed up the day for South Africa. He attempted a run off an overthrown but had to turn back immediately. In the process he lost his footing and slipped, allowing Matthew Wade to complete the easiest of run outs.
Markram's fighting knock of 40 comes to an end!
Starc with a wicket to his name.
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Markram swung Hazlewood for a six over midwicket but he too perished soon, clipping a length ball from Starc straight down the throat of deep midwicket. A last-over six by Kagiso Rabada helped South Africa add some crucial runs but 118 was well short of what they would have wanted.
Australia vs South Africa: Who won Player of the Match in today’s T20 World Cup 2021 match?
Australia’s bowling was top-class against an unsure Proteas line-up. Hazlewood was brilliant with 2 for 19. He got the big scalps of De Kock and Van der Dussen. Zampa then scuttled a fight by South Africa, dismissing Miller and Pretorius in one over. Starc didn’t start well but came back to pick up a couple as well.
When Australia batted, Smith played an important knock of 35 to steady the ship after the early loss of wickets.
For South Africa, Markram was the only batter to hold fort with a defiant 40. Nortje gave the Proteas hope by getting the scalps of Finch and Smith.
Australian pacer Hazlewood was named Player of the Match for his fantastic bowling performance.