India 88/8 in chase of 188 after 15 overs

Ahmedabad, Feb 22 (PTI) India were left stuttering at 88 for eight, needing an improbable 100 runs from the last five overs, in their tall chase of 188 against South Africa in their T20 World Cup Group 1 Super Eights clash here on Sunday.

Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube were trying to accelerate after Lungi Nigdi, with his off-cutter, slower ones, was exceptional in the middle overs to choke India.

But Wily left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj struck thrice in one over, dismissing Hardik Pandya (18), Rinku Singh (0) and Arshdeep Singh (0) just after the drinks break in the 15th over to virtually seal the match for them.

Star opener Abhishek Sharma ended his run of three successive ducks but only to fall for 15 off 12 balls (2x4, 1x6).

He struck a boundary off Aiden Markram before upper-cutting Kagiso Rabada for six and punching a full toss through cover point.

But Marco Jansen ended his stay with Corbin Bosch taking a stunning catch. India crawled to 31/3 in the powerplay with the lanky pacer grabbing two wickets inside six overs.

After taking the blinder, Bosch gave crucial breakthroughs and ended the resistance of Washington Sundar (11) and Suryakumar Yadav (18) as the required run-rate kept climbing with India losing wickets at regular intervals.

Credit should also go to Lungi Ngidi who didn't take any wicket but bowled miserly and gave away just 12 runs from his three overs to stymie India's fightback. PTI TAP Earlier, David Miller rolled back the years with exhilarating strokes but Jasprit Bumrah's superb initial and end act restricted South Africa to 187/7.

Miller struck 63 off 35 balls and got fine support from young Dewald Brevis (45 off 29 balls) as the duo led a recovery act in a 97-run fourth-wicket stand that came off just 51 balls.

Bumrah (3/15 in 4 overs) and Arshdeep Singh (2/28 in 4 overs) had reduced the Proteas to 20/3 inside the first four overs after they opted to bat. PTI TAP PDS PDS