South Africa batter Rassie van der Dussen witnessed a slow start and it put pressure on the visiting team when they were chasing 212 against India in the first of a 5-match T20I series in New Delhi on Thursday. Van der Dussen, however, said he was determined to make the most of the lifeline he received after India dropped his catch during the high-scoring encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Rassie van der Dussen was struggling to get going as he managed just 29 runs in his first 30 deliveries, putting pressure on his batting partner David Miller in a mammoth chase of 212. However, Shreyas Iyer dropped van der Dussen on 29 in the 16th over of South Africa’s chase. Rassie van der Dussen made India pay as he blasted 46 runs in the next 15 deliveries as he remained unbeaten on 75 off just 46 balls. He hit 4 sixes and 5 boundaries in 15 deliveries after the dropped catch from Shreyas Iyer.
WATCH – Avesh Khan Broke The Bat Of Rassie van de Dussen With A Yorker
South Africa eventually went on to win the match by 7 wickets, successfully chasing down 212 in just 19.1 overs. Van der Dussen and Miller stitched an unbeaten 131-run partnership as the visitors completed their highest-ever successful chase in T20I cricket, snapping India’s 12-match-winning run in the shortest format of the game.
After the match, Rassie van der Dussen said, “The key for me was that when that catch was dropped, I knew I had to make India pay. I took a good few balls to get in and it was a wicket that got a lot easier once you were in. I did put myself and the team under pressure by not being able to hit early boundaries. Some days you’re lucky, others you’re not. And tonight I was lucky. If Shreyas had caught that ball, it might’ve been a different game. That said, we had a lot of batting still to come.”
Furthermore, Rassie van der Dussen heaped praise on David Miller, saying the in-form southpaw helped ease the pressure on him after his slow start. Miller tore into the Indian spinner, especially Axar Patel and finished with an unbeaten 64 off just 31 balls.
ALSO READ: Harshal Patel Dismissed Dwaine Pretorius With A Slow Full Toss
Talking about Miller, Rassie van der Dussen said, “David just brought his form from the IPL straight into this game. He put the bowlers under pressure from the start. He played brilliant innings and also just helped pull me through that difficult phase of my innings. Once he hit those consecutive sixes, the momentum shifted our way.”
South Africa will be upbeat when they face India in the 2nd T20I of the 5-match series in Cuttack on Sunday.
