Markram, Miller and Ngidi help Proteas cruise past Canada in T20 World Cup opener

ICC T20 World Cup, Group C

South Africa: 213/4 (Markram 59, Miller 39*, Stubbs 34*, Patel 3/31)

Canada: 136/8 (Dhaliwal 64, Ngidi 4/31, Jansen 2/30)

South Africa won by 57 runs

“He really loves this stadium,” said former New Zealand fast bowler Danny Morrison on commentary after David Miller launched a third six into the mass of empty orange seats of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Miller, of course, developed an adoring relationship with this mega mass of concrete that seats a world record 135 000 spectators during his three successful seasons here with IPL outfit Gujarat Titans. 

Only a few thousand locals had come out on Monday evening to watch Miller, and the Proteas take on Canada in their T20 World Cup opener, but that would not have mattered to the veteran southpaw and his teammates. 

The only point of consequence was the fact that the Proteas collected the two crucial Group C points to kickstart their T20 World Cup campaign and that Miller had come through his first game unscathed upon his return from injury.

The 36-year-old had only played a single warm-up match since the final group game in the Betway SA20 last month, where he picked up a groin niggle that ruled the veteran out of the preceding West Indies series.

But now back in the green-and-gold after being passed fit on the eve of departure, Miller slowly worked his way back into form after a relatively sedate start that saw him trundle to 16 after 17 balls. His frustrations showed during this period with every mishit followed by a thump into his pads.

Miller, though, has played the game long enough to know that the loose delivery will come. And when it arrived, pitched up and in the arc from Kaleem Sana, Miller freed his arms to belt it straight back over long-on for his first six. 

Two more maximums followed off the first two balls of Jaskran Singh’s final over which saw Miller finish unbeaten on 39 off 23 balls (1x4, 3x6). 

It formed part of an unbroken 75-run partnership off only 39 balls with Tristan Stubbs (34 not out off 19 balls) which bookended the Proteas innings after captain Aiden Markram (59 off 32 balls) and Quinton de Kock (25 off 22 balls) had raced out of the gates with a 70-run opening stand.

Whatever hopes Canada had were swept away by a stunning early burst from Lungi Ngidi, who had Dilpreet Bajwa caught behind the very first ball of the run chase among his three wickets in the Powerplay. 

And when Kagiso Rabada clean bowled Shreyas Mova to reduce Canada to 45/4, the match was virtually over as a contest.

Navneet Dhaliwal and Harsh Thaker (33 off 29 balls) brought some respectability to the Canada innings with a solid 69-run partnership for the fifth wicket before Ngidi (4/31) returned to the attack to bring it to an abrupt end with his fourth wicket of the night. 

Dhaliwal (64 off 49 balls) will take plenty of confidence from his lone effort against a high-quality Proteas attack, which also included Marco Jansen (2/30) grabbing a couple of wickets at the death, but the Canadians were always going to need a lot more to deny Markram and his men a dominant opening win.