South Africa believe they can ace the chase

AHMEDABAD, November 9

Both of South Africa’s defeats at the ODI World Cup came while chasing but batter David Miller does not think this is a major concern for them heading into the business end of the showpiece tournament.

South Africa have secured their semifinals spot after six wins in eight matches and the top half of their batting order had been in red-hot form before they came unstuck against India in their last match when they were skittled for 83.

They have looked more comfortable setting targets but Miller said they are also usually at ease chasing a total. “I think we have chased a lot of games in the past, and I don’t think it’s something that is a huge issue at all,” the batter said ahead of tomorrow’s match against Afghanistan. “The guys certainly have the skill and believe that we can chase anything. I think it’s just comparing to what we have done batting first, which has been exceptional.”

90.90 South Africa have a win percentage of 90.90 when batting first in ODIs in 2023, losing just one of 11 matches

“We haven’t been horrific chasing, it’s just been one or two games where we slipped up, which is part of the game. We have spoken about and dissected that. It’s just about making sure that we’ve got that platform and giving ourselves the best chance to chase down a total,” he added.

Miller was wary of Afghanistan, who have beaten three former champions in the tournament and still have mathematical chances of making the semifinals.

“They’re a team that’s certainly growing in confidence. They’ve showed that they can compete. I mean this World Cup they’ve done really, really well, beaten some big teams,” Miller said.

“They’re a really strong team, and they have a chance to make the semifinals. So, it’s good to see. “That’s the joy of World Cup. You see different teams doing well…It’s great to see and good for cricket.” — Reuters