Proteas stand-in skipper David Miller on loss to India: 'To finish off a series like that is disappointing

Proteas stand-in skipper admitted that the seven-wicket loss to India on Tuesday, which saw the hosts take the ODI series 2-1, was a bitter pill to swallow, particularly as they offered little fight. 

Speaking in the post-match interview, Miller, who captained the side on the day with both Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj out, said while the wicket was two-paced, the batters should simply have done better and that left the bowlers with an uphill battle. 

"It was very tough; it didn't help with obviously scoring 100 [the Proteas ended on 99]. It's not ideal in any game, so the bowlers were always under pressure. A disappointing result today, to finish off a series like that is disappointing," Miller said. 

After all the rain around New Delhi over the last few days, the big-hitting left-hander acknowledged that batting first was a challenge, making the wicket tacky and two-paced.

"I think it was a little two-paced," Miller said.

"The guys were saying it was kind of stoppy and then skidding on a bit. There was a little turn as well, which is no excuse at all but those conditions batting first [and] with rain the last two days, [and because the pitch was] under covers a bit, it was a little tacky. But we are high-class players and a lot better than that."

South Africa's qualifying campaign for the 2023 World Cup - also in India - is very much on the ropes.

Their position in the ICC World Cup Super League log looks distinctly troubling as they are currently languishing in 11th place on 59 points.

They are currently 29 points behind eighth-place West Indies in their quest for automatic qualification for the showcase event. 

The top eight teams on the eventual table gain their ticket for the sub-continent, with the other five languishers