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10:45 PM local time (6:45 PM IST): We stay in Darwin, as the second T20I comes our way on Tuesday from 6:45 PM local time (2:45 PM IST). Will South Africa be able to level the series, or will Australia seal the deal? We will find out in 48 hours. For now, this is the pair of Pradeep and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Mitchell Marsh [Australia captain]: "I didn't know about the record of 9 wins in a row! You have to back yourself to go for shots, and that allows for someone like Tim David to play like that. Our bowlers kept us in the game the whole way and even in tough conditions, got the job done!"
Aiden Markram [South Africa captain]: "It got close, we were far from our best tonight. Little bit of learnings to do for the next 24 to 48 hours, get back well in the second game. Maphaka kept it simple, bowled with energy, got it right on many occasions."
Tim David is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: "Pretty special in for the boys, we're all stoked. We went pretty hard today, not many occasions we could do that but went hard at the start. It came off tonight, pretty special tonight."
10:34 PM local time (6:34 PM IST): Australia win by 17 runs!
Tim David 83 (52) | Ben Dwarshuis - 3/26 (4) Ryan Rickelton 71 (55) | Kwena Maphaka - 4/20 (4)
South Africa hung in the chase from ball one but never looked the part to go over the line. Eventually, they fell short by a fair margin.
One can say that the Proteas should have killed it in the first innings itself, but they needed another strong partnership in quicker time to back up what Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs did, together. Had that happened, their batters should have been able to do the job.
Josh Hazlewood has delivered for Australia once again! For the umpteenth time, that is! First, getting rid of South Africa skipper Aiden Markram after getting hit for three fours in the first over. Then, to break the successful 50-run partnership between Stubbs and Rickelton and in that over itself, nick George Linde off! He just keeps dong what he loves doing and the batters still don't have an answer against him!
The rest of the bowling was pretty impressive too! The lengths, the changes of pace and the the field placements were superb from the Australian team. Only one catch got dropped.
Rickelton scored a gritty half-century, but could not quite pull the team home. And that catch to dismiss him, by Glenn Maxwell, was out of the top drawer! He too keeps taking catches like that in the deep, as if it is a piece of cake!
Australia now have 9 T20I wins in a row against their name and this will feel special, because they had the dew to contend with. South Africa weren't at their best, but were neither too far from it. So, we expect the second game to bring the gap much, much closer, that is for sure!
20
overs
161/9score
0
W
0
2
1
W
runs
Kagiso Rabada*
10(6)
Kwena Maphaka
3(3)
Ben Dwarshuis
3/26
Kagiso Rabada has been dismissed for 10 runs off 6 balls
19.6 Ben Dwarshuis to Kagiso Rabada, OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! That's it, Australia with a comprehensive win, they go 1-0 up in the series! Change of pace, back of a length on off-stump. Rabada has a big swipe across the line and misses, rattles off-stump. Tim David was the star of the show for Australia and in the end, just proved it to be the game changer for them.
Final delivery of the match!
19.5 Ben Dwarshuis to Kwena Maphaka, TOP EDGED AND SAFE! Sharp bumper from Dwarshuis. Banged it in, well directed. Maphaka gets hurried with the pull, top edged it towards short fine-leg, falls safely.
Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell are not the same fielders, and this is proof.
19.4 Ben Dwarshuis to Kwena Maphaka, DROPPED! Now Zampa drops a sitter. Back of a length on middle and leg, Maphaka pulled that one away. Zampa runs in from deep backward square-leg, spills it.
19.3 Ben Dwarshuis to Kwena Maphaka, full outside the off-stump, Maphaka smacked it straight to mid-off for no run.
Kwena Maphaka batting at 10th position
Ryan Rickelton has been dismissed for 71 runs off 55 balls
They will check, but Maxwell is confident. That is a stunning catch for sure, but a regulation one for Maxwell. He does it for fun.
19.2 Ben Dwarshuis to Ryan Rickelton, OUT! MAXWELL TAKES A STUNNER! Well judged catch in the end from Maxwell. Rickelton thought he's made the contact that was needed. Back of a length outside the off-stump, Rickelton pulled that one away. Maxwell takes the catch at long-on, made it look so easy. He jumped over the ropes first, then before he touched down, he threw the ball back in. Quickly gets back inside the play, pouches it safely. Umpire wants to confirm this, sends it upstairs.
Replay confirms that Maxwell has done a phenomenal job. Huge blow for South Africa. Rickelton tried hard, but his effort goes in vain.
The last thing the Proteas want is a dot ball!
19.1 Ben Dwarshuis to Ryan Rickelton, OH DEAR! Starts off with a slower bumper, Rickelton doesn't read it as he went with the pull too early, top edged it into the on-side, falls safely.
Ben Dwarshuis [3.0-0-23-1] comes back into the attack.
Final over to come now! 21 runs to get for South Africa. Still possible. But the first two or three balls have to disappear.
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Kagiso Rabada
*
Ben Dwarshuis
Video
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