South Africa complete 2nd highest ODI run-chase against Australia to win the series; Twitter erupts
South Africa complete 2nd highest ODI run-chase against Australia to win the series; Twitter erupts
It was a run-feast in Durban as Australia and South Africa met for the third One-Day International (ODI) on Wednesday. Having lost the first two games of the five-match ODI series, the visitors needed to win the third game at any cost to keep the series alive. They started brilliantly too, with opener David Warner and captain Steven Smith hitting fantastic hundreds and propelling the team total to a massive 371 for 6 from the stipulated 50 overs. The game looked to be won, and the series saved, at the half way stage. However, the Proteas team had other plans.
They had been there and done that. In 2006, South Africa had scripted the highest successful ODI run chase against the same team, by hunting down a mammoth 435 set by Australia in Johannesburg. This match was a nostalgic ride for many fans, as it rekindled the memories of that historic chase. In the process, South Africa also eclipsed India’s record of the second highest run chase, again against the same opposition, of 362 for 1 in 2013.
The hero of their win yesterday was David Miller, who scored unbeaten 118 off just 79 balls and added unbroken 107 runs for the 7th wicket with newbie Andile Phehlukwayo too see his side home. Nobody could have given it a thought that South Africa would win it after being 6 down for 265 in the 38th over. But that’s the beauty of cricket. It’s unpredictable nature and uncertainty till the last ball makes it exciting. Meanwhile, the exciting game, which went down to the wire, attracted enormous response on social media. Here, we bring to you the best of the tweets that broke the internet.
Check them out:
https://twitter.com/dizzy259/status/783751613068480514
https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/783751609301950465