Ahmedabad, February 22 – South Africa captain Aiden Markram praised his team's adaptability and quick assessment of the conditions after securing a comprehensive 76-run victory over India in the Super Eights clash of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
On a slow, black soil pitch, David Miller top-scored with 63, while Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs scored 45 and 44 not out respectively as the Proteas recovered from 20/3 to post a challenging 187/7 in 20 overs. In reply, the South African bowlers, led by Marco Jansen's 4-22, then delivered a tactical and execution masterclass to bowl out India for 111 in 18.5 overs.
"Great performance. The wicket was very different from what we've had here, so it was great to see the boys assess that early and adapt their skills to execute their plans. I'm really proud of the bowling group. They've been working hard, and while the competition started tough, their performance tonight was excellent," Markram said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
He credited the 97-run partnership between Miller and Brevis for stabilizing the innings after early setbacks. "I think the first and most important thing was that partnership. The guys were great, put that together for us, stabilized the innings, and kept us in the game," he added.
Markram said the team's batting in the middle overs, thanks to Miller and Brevis, proved to be decisive. "The conversations towards the end were that the ball was traveling well tonight, almost felt a bit spongy, so it was about finding space where we could run hard, be aggressive, and take as many runs as possible. They bowled well upfront and at the death as well, but I thought our batting in the middle was probably the difference."
He also praised the fielding effort and the role of pacer Lungi Ngidi. "Good fielding effort. We lost two wickets, but it wasn't due to a lack of effort. Against the UAE, we probably weren't as connected as we'd like, but the presence and connection was much better today. We will make mistakes, and that's okay as a group, so we will move on. We feel that Lungi is a threat whenever he bowls, and that he can take wickets for us in that middle phase," said Markram.
Looking ahead to their next clash against the West Indies, Markram said, "I think it's the same for both teams, having played each other recently. They are a dangerous T20 side playing good cricket, so we'll enjoy this tonight, park it, and get our minds sharp for that West Indies clash. It's a big game for us, and we don't want to take confidence or good vibes for granted. It's important to come out on the 28th and take it to the fullest."
Miller, named Player of the Match, said his approach was about sticking to his strengths and maintaining aggression. "It was about making sure you stick to your strengths and don't get bogged down. During the powerplay, all the fielders were in the ring, so I thought it was time to go for it. We tried to get as many runs as possible and rotate the strike," he said.
He explained his scoring areas at the venue. "With the nature of this ground, you want to look straight. The square boundaries are smaller than the straight ones. I wanted to shape up to hit straight and then react accordingly. I also wanted to be aggressive against the spinners. They have world-class bowlers. I've played against them a lot, and I'm trying to put them under pressure and put myself in the position to do that," he added.
