AUS VS SA T20I

A fairly bizarre match comes to a close. Australia started like a runaway train which had lost its brakes and through one man standing, bailed themselves out of a deep hole. There will be debates as to whether their batting approach is or was valid, depending on how the results go for them. South Africa won't be too disappointed with their bowling but will believe that this match could have had a different result, had their fielding been better. Also, can / could their batters go harder? Just 2 sixes in the entire innings, with half of those coming from a number 9, Kagiso Rabada. There will be discussions on those but most importantly, as per the on-air commentators, the same pitch will be used for the second T20I. There was enough evidence to suggest that the pitch does slow down as the game progresses, but then, due to the heat, there is a lot of dew in the night. Should the captain winning the toss bat first or stick to chasing? Do tune in to find out on Tuesday, 12th August, 2025, when the second T20I will be played. The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 0915 GMT but our buildup will begin well in advance. So do tune in early. Till then, you can catch the action from the West Indies-Pakistan ODIs. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

The victorious skipper of Australia, MITCHELL MARSH, is all smiles and calls it a great way to start the series. Is humble enough to say that it was because of the amazing display with the ball. On his side winning 9 T20Is in a row, making it THE MOST BY ANY AUSSIE SIDE, bettering their previous best of 8 consecutive victories in 2024, Marsh says that he did not know. Says that it is nice and that's all he has to say! On his batters' thought process, Mitchell admits that the plan was to go hard as that's what we see across other teams as they just keep on going. Adds that you do want someone to bat through but at the same time, you have guys like Tim David who can change the game from any situation. Eventually, he puts it down to how the batters execute their plans. On the dew, the Bison says that there was some serious dew. Details that the Aussie bowlers had their issues and calls it an outstanding effort by all to first, keep Australia in the game and eventually, win it for the side.

The captain of South Africa, AIDEN MARKRAM, on the match going down to the wire, admits that it did get close and doesn't think that his side was pretty far from being at its best. Accepts that the players need to do a bit of learning in the next 24-48 hours and try and achieve a positive result on Tuesday (2nd T20I). On Kwena Maphaka, Markram is impressed with the youngster as well, detailing that he kept it simple, bowled it in the right areas and that's pretty much what anyone can ask from him.

Australia's TIM DAVID HAS BEEN ADJUDGED THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH, for his swashbuckling 83 (52), studded with 4 fours and 8 sixes. Calls it a special win for the team. On the all-out approach by all the Aussie batters, David agrees that they did go pretty hard and lost wickets but also adds that it is not too often that so many batters miss out. So, is confident that in the next game, someone or the other will step up. On his own knock, Tim says that his plan also was to go hard and feels lucky that it came off.

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Slightly better template, but can even get better for the Proteas. Since the final of the last T20 World Cup, as per the commentators on air, South Africa rank number 8 in getting runs in the Powerplay. Here also, they managed just 48 runs and also lost 3 wickets in the process. The fact that despite a slow start, they got back into the game through a brilliant 72-run stand between Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs shows their batting depth. It is just about tweaking a bit at the top and going probably, a bit harder. Sadly, for them, only those two gentlemen stood out, able to cross 35, in an innings which had just 5 batters in double digits. Rickelton tried to bat till the end but it was too much for him, with the pitch slowing down and the Aussies changing the pace very well. Please stay tuned for the presentation.

South Africa's bowling exploits were mirrored by Australia pretty nicely. Josh Hazlewood stuck to his task early on, picking up 3 wickets while Ben Dwarshuis is raising his hand up to be picked in that World Cup squad next year, picking up another 3-wicket haul after his 3/41 against West Indies rcently, in the 5th T20I. His young T20I career reads 16 wickets at an impressive average of 18.62. Nathan Ellis was the most expensive of the lot but that's more because of the batters chancing their arms. He has become a master of variation and kept the Africans guessing. The fact that despite the dew, Mitchell Marsh was able to bowl 20 overs with 5 bowlers would have pleased him.

Cannot blame South Africa's bowlers much. Yes, they did concede 71 in the Powerplay, but bounced back superbly to concede just 107 in the next 14 overs. It was all about that one dropped catch of Tim David which made the difference. Actually, they had spilled one of Travis Head early on and another one of David just a ball before his dismissal, which did not matter much. So it can be said that fielding let them down big time. Young Kwena Maphaka was the pick of the bowlers with 4/20 in 4 overs while Corbin Bosch had an off evening.

19 (9). This was Tim David's score when Glenn Maxwell was dismissed in the 8th over and Ben Dwarshuis had just arrived at the crease. He ended up scoring 64 in his next 42 balls, before getting out on the 43rd. He smashed 8 sixes in his knock, while the whole of South Africa managed just two big hits. There was a moment on 15.3 though - David had miscued one off Senuran Muthusamy, only to be let off by Tristan Stubbs. He was on 56 at that time, while Australia were 136/7. The next 27 balls yielded 42 runs. Who knows what might have happened had that catch been taken.

Darwin was hosting international cricket for the first time since 2008 and there was always some doubt over how the pitch would play. The South Africans seemed to size up the deck well early on, as they resorted to hitting the deck with slower balls. Australia, primarily due to reckless batting, were reduced to 75/6, but even from there, they found hope through Tim David who took them to a competitive 178.

6th consecutive win for Australia over South Africa in T20Is. 9th consecutive win and 10th unbeaten T20I in a row for the Aussies overall. They were tottering at one stage and had no business in winning this game but pure muscle has managed to help them earn a 1-0 lead in this 3-match series.

OUT! BOWLED! Third wicket for Dwarshuis and he ends the match with a scalp. A length ball, directed at the stumps, from over the wicket, outside off, Kagiso Rabada swings for the heavens but connects with thin air, missing the ball completely. The ball hits the stumps and the zing bails go alight. AUSTRALIA WIN BY 17 RUNS!

OUT! BOWLED! Third wicket for Dwarshuis and he ends the match with a scalp. A length ball, directed at the stumps, from over the wicket, outside off, Kagiso Rabada swings for the heavens but connects with thin air, missing the ball completely. The ball hits the stumps and the zing bails go alight. AUSTRALIA WIN BY 17 RUNS!

A short ball, outside off, Maphaka looks to pull but gets a top edge which lands near square leg. A single taken.

DROPPED, but it won't matter. A length ball, around middle, Kwena Maphaka whips it towards deep backward square leg. Adam Zampa charges in from the ropes but with the ball dipping on him, he is unable to hold on. Puts the ball down and nearly twists his ankle in his followthrough. Two runs taken.

Serves it on a full length and outside off, Kwena Maphaka drills it towards mid off for another dot delivery. This is turning out to be a brilliant last over from Ben Dwarshuis.

Kwena Maphaka walks in next, at number 10, replacing Ryan Rickelton.

OUT! Maxwell does wonders on the field once again! Absolutely brilliant from Maxi near the long on fence, and its almost done for the Proteas. Bowls into the pitch, pace off delivery, around middle and off, Ryan Rickelton waits back and heaves it away to clear off the long on fence, but Maxi lashes onto that mid air and comes back inside the boundary rope to hold onto that. It should be game set match for Aussies now!