[WATCH] Rassie van der Dussen & Quinton de Kock get big reprives as New Zealand miss 2 chances on the same ball in the 2023 World Cup clashÂ
South African batters Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock shone with the bat during the team's ongoing 2023 World Cup encounter against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Wednesday.
The two batters stitched together a mammoth 200-run stand for the second wicket, putting the Proteas in a commanding position. The partnership could have ended in the 36th over, but New Zealand squandered two chances on the same ball.
On the first ball of the over, van der Dussen survived after bowler James Neesham put down a tough return catch. The ball rolled to Mitchell Santner at covers.
Notably, de Kock was halfway down the pitch at the time and had even given up hope of reaching his crease safely. Unfortunately for the Blackcaps, Santner failed to hit the stumps.
Had Santner managed a direct hit, it would have been a big heartbreak for de Kock as he was batting on 94.
Here's a video of the two missed chances:
The partnership ultimately came to an end in the 40th over after Quinton de Kock was out caught off Tim Southee's bowling; the southpaw scored 114 runs. Rassie van der Dussen, meanwhile, smashed 133 runs before falling to Southee in the 48th over.
Quinton de Kock became the first player to score 500 runs in the 2023 World Cup
South African keeper-batter Quinton de Kock has showcased tremendous form in the ongoing 2023 World Cup. He has played some spectacular knocks already for his team and is also the leading run-getter in the edition.
During his 114-run knock against New Zealand, de Kock became the first batter to cross the 500-run mark in the ongoing ICC event. He has chalked up 545 runs in seven innings at an average of 77.85.
It is worth mentioning that the opener is the first-ever South African batter to score over 500 runs in a World Cup. He has four centuries to his name in the 2023 World Cup and is just one ton away from equalling Rohit Sharma's record of five hundreds in a single edition.