South Africa thump India to assert T20 World Cup title credentials

AHMEDABAD, India, Feb 22 : South Africa bulldozed defending champions India by 76 runs on Sunday in their Super Eight Group One clash in the Twenty20 World Cup, underlining their title credentials and sending a strong signal to their rivals.

Choosing to bat in a rematch of the 2024 World Cup final, South Africa surged to a commanding 187‑7 following a remarkable recovery from a precarious 20-3.

In reply, tournament co-hosts India's timid top-order faltered swiftly, and their innings never quite escaped the grip of scoreboard pressure. They were bundled out for 111 in 18.5 overs, slipping to their first defeat of the World Cup.

"We played against them a lot as well," David Miller, whose breezy 63 earned him player-of-the-match award, said of the Indian bowlers.

"So it was just matching the intensity, if not raising the intensity, against their bowlers, and putting them under the pump.

"They are good bowlers, but they do bowl bad balls. So it's making sure you're in that position to do that."

Earlier, India quickly took the sting out of South Africa's top-order following Aiden Markram's decision to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled Quinton de Kock, while Arshdeep Singh had Markram snared at mid-off to leave South Africa without any of their openers inside three overs.

Bumrah's control (3‑15) shone again when he, with a deft change of pace, deceived Ryan Rickelton, who chipped tamely to Shivam Dube at mid‑off.

From there, a blistering 97‑run partnership between Miller and Dewald Brevis (45) not only halted the slide but also turned the heat back on India.

Brevis missed a well‑deserved fifty but Miller powered to his in just 26 balls.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy removed Miller in the 16th over, but Tristan