Miller and Van der Dussen added an unbeaten 131-run stand © BCCI
David Miller (64* off 31) and Rassie van der Dussen (75* off 46) put on an unbeaten 131-run stand off just 63 balls as South Africa hunted down India's 211 to record their highest successful chase in T20Is. By taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, they also ended India's quest for a record-setting 13th straight win in T20I cricket.

About the partnership: Was it a double-barrelled assault all the way through?

Anything but that, really. Miller had to handhold Rassie van der Dussen through a particularly patchy phase in the middle that saw the visitors needing 126 off the final 10. Van der Dussen, struggling for his timing, had crawled to 20 off 21 when Miller hit a six and a four off Harshal Patel in the 12th over and followed that up by plundering 19 off the next from Axar Patel. Those two overs had followed a particularly troubling phase for South Africa when they managed just 25 runs between overs 6 and 10.

Miller, who hit another six and a four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bring up a 22-ball 50, allowed his partner to find his hitting range. He eventually did but not before a stroke of luck allowed him to do so as Shreyas Iyer put down a straight forward chance at deep mid-wicket. A chase of this magnitude needed firepower from both end and van der Dussen provided just that post his reprieve. He clubbed Harshal Patel for three sixes and a four in an over to cut the chase down to size. 34 off 18 became 12 off 12 before South Africa romped home with five balls to spare.

A tactical move

While Miller and van der Dussen were the centrepieces of the chase, South Africa were well served by a tactical move to promote Dwaine Pretorius to No.3. The all-rounder set the tone for the chase with a 13-ball 29, effectively taking down Yuzvendra Chahal, who was bowled in the PowerPlay as a matchup ploy against Quinton de Kock. Pretorius' cameo meant South Africa had 61 in the PowerPlay, 10 more than India had achieved when they were put in to bat.

India keep attacking with the bat

India displayed a refreshing side to their T20 batting as they kept attacking through the innings. Each member of the top-five batted with a strike rate in excess of 130, four with a strike rate of 150-plus while Hardik Pandya, returning to his finisher's role, struck at 250 in the death.

Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 51 in the PowerPlay despite looking scratchy on a pitch that proved tacky at the start of play. There was no let off for South Africa post the fielding restrictions as overs 6-10 brought another 51 runs. Both Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were particularly effective in taking down the pair of left-arm spinners in South Africa's ranks, their combined five overs costing the visitors 70.

Kishan fell for a 48-ball 76 after adding 80 with Iyer off just 6.4 overs. He passed on the baton to the likes of Pant (29 off 16) and the returning Pandya (31* off 12) who helped India post their highest score against South Africa in the format. Against the hitting prowess of Miller and van der Dussen, it proved insufficient.

Brief scores:India 211/4 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 76, Hardik Pandya 31*; Wayne Parnell 1-32) lost to South Africa 212/3 in 19.1 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 75*, David Miller 64*; Axar Patel 1-40) by 7 wickets