Killer Miller comes of age with spectacular knock

The first reaction for anyone who saw David Miller hit Mitchell Starc over mid-off for a six would be of amazement.

But should we be surprised? We always knew that he could hit the long ball. What we didn't know was that if he could play a long innings or not.

Can he come in when the team is in a spot of bother and take the team to a competitive total? Well, scoring 138 runs from 108 balls, combining with Faf du Plessis for more than 200 runs and taking his team out of trouble when the situation really demanded it. You have to say Miller is finally showing his worth in the ongoing ODI series against Australia.

The best stat of the innings is something of a fabric that has recently developed in world cricket, about how he paced his innings. 138 from 108 balls might suggest it to be a hitting spectacle from Miller. However, it was anything but that. And rather in many ways, it was a perfect ODI innings. When he came to the crease, the team was in a spot of bother, struggling in a must-win decider match.

Miller took his time. He scored his fifty off 64 balls and then slowly changed gears with the captain at the other end.

The fact that he scored the next 88 runs from just 44 balls is remarkable but what is more remarkable is that he helped his team to a total of 320 which just didn't seem possible before he walked out to bat.

South Africa, as a team, are in trouble right now. Their top order is completely out of sorts with Quinton de Kock really struggling to get going and Hashim Amla injured. With Miller finally showing signs of ability to get a big one, it would reduce one of the headaches for the team which still is struggling to deal with the loss of their biggest X-Factor - AB de Villiers.

When Miller gets going, it's one of the best sites in cricket. Hopefully, for Miller and South Africa's sake, this innings gives him the confidence to replicate such performances again and again.