Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan was brutally trolled for his slow knock during a 184-run chase against South Africa in the first T20I in Durban on Tuesday. Rizwan, who opened the batting with former skipper Babar Azam, batted till the last over but could not take Pakistan home, as South Africa won the match by 11 runs. Rizwan's slow start to the innings was one of the major reasons why Pakistan never looked like chasing down the total.
At the end of the 16th over, when Pakistan's required rate touched 15, Rizwan was scoring less than a run a ball. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batter was able to hit just two fours till the 15th over of the match, one of which came in the first over of Pakistan's chase. Rizwan did hit a few boundaries, including three in the 19th over, in the last four overs but they were not enough to take Pakistan over the line. Rizwan was finally out for 74 off 62 balls in the second ball of the last over.
Things did turn Pakistan's way when Rizwan hit Kwena Maphaka for a couple of sixes in the 17th over to collect 24 runs, but all-rounder George Linde doused all hopes by picking three wickets in the next over. The left-arm spinner ended up with 4-21. This was after he had done a lot of damage with the bat, smashing 48 off just 24 balls. Miller slammed 82 off 40 balls with four fours and eight sixes and Linde played rapid-fire knock in a South African total of 183 for nine.
‘A perfect comeback,’ says George Linde
"It was almost the perfect comeback," said Linde after being ignored by successive South African selectors for more than three years.
{{/usCountry}}"It was almost the perfect comeback," said Linde after being ignored by successive South African selectors for more than three years.
{{/usCountry}}Linde said he felt calm with both bat and ball - but he said he felt he "had to deliver a good performance" after missing the team bus to the ground. He needed a police escort to catch up.
Linde took two wickets in his final over and briefly had a hat-trick when Haris Rauf was given out leg before wicket before successfully reviewing the decision.
Rizwan said Miller and Linde's individual performances were the difference between the teams.
Shaheen Shah Afridi led a disciplined Pakistan bowling attack, taking three for 22 - and reaching 100 wickets in T20 internationals.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed took three for 37 despite being hit for three successive sixes by Miller.
Miller was in sublime form but the rest of South Africa's top order failed, with only captain Heinrich Klaasen (12) reaching double figures.
Miller was sixth out with the total on 135 in the 14th over but Linde hit four sixes in a 24-ball innings - including three in the last over by Sufiyan Muqeem - to take South Africa to a respectable total.