SA vs PAK 2024/25, South Africa vs Pakistan 1st T20I, Durban Match Report, December 10, 2024

South Africa 183 for 9 (Miller 82, Linde 48, Shaheen 3-22, Abrar 3-37) beat Pakistan 172 for 8 (Rizwan 74, Ayub 31, Linde 4-21) by 11 runs

The Killer Miller Show

David Miller has made a reputation for being a middle- and late-overs bludgeoner. But after Shaheen and Abrar struck early, Miller came in at No. 4 in an inexperienced side. And for the next hour or so, he demonstrated how his timing and technique were every bit equal to his power. Taking advantage of beginning his innings in the powerplay, he whipped Shaheen off the pads to get going, before punching him through the covers for another boundary.

Miller had just got started, and was brutal against spin, slapping Abrar for three straight sixes in the tenth over. He cut across the innings like a scythe for Pakistan; between the time he came on and when Shaheen finally had him hole out, he added 82 of South Africa’s 125.

Linde punishes Rizwan’s gamble

Tactics are invariably judged by outcomes rather than thought processes, and Linde ensured Rizwan’s aggressive death-overs gambit cost Pakistan heavily. After Miller fell and Pakistan followed up with two more quick blows to reduce South Africa to 141 for 8, the Pakistan captain saw an opportunity to bowl South Africa out. Shaheen, Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf were bowled out by the 19th over; Pakistan had perhaps hoped South Africa’s innings would be wrapped up by then.

But that didn’t happen, with Linde managing the strike and Maphaka’s odd boundary taking the pressure off them. It left Muqeem to bowl the final over, and when Linde refused a single off the first ball, his intentions were obvious. Muqeem missed his length on almost every one of the last five deliveries; three went for sixes before Linde finally miscued the last ball to cow corner. But South Africa had surged to 183, and Pakistan’s hopes of cleaning them out below par were dead and buried.

Rizbar now, Rizbar forever?

The obituary of the Mohammad Rizwan-Babar Azam opening has been written far too many times to attempt another one. It seemed Pakistan’s days of opening with their two trusty anchors were finally done, but in a steep chase, it was those two who walked out while Saim Ayub sat in the dugout. Both looked rusty and well off the pace required. Babar could have fallen to Maphaka first ball, and ultimately did off the fourth without scoring.

Ayub came in and demonstrated why he is so potent in the first six, his full repertoire of power, panache and audacity on display as he blitzed through the remaining powerplay, striking seven boundaries in his first 13 balls to race to 31. He is less effective when the field spreads out, and holed out to sweeper cover off the second ball he faced post-powerplay. He had got Pakistan off to a flyer, though, and left one wondering how much he could have added had he been around from the very start. At the death, it became apparent how every run would have mattered.