T20 WC: Markram praises SA's focus after 57-run win over Canada

South Africa defeated Canada by 57 runs in the T20 World Cup. Captain Aiden Markram praised his team's focus. Lungi Ngidi was named Player of the Match for his four-wicket haul, while Navneet Dhaliwal scored a fighting fifty for Canada.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram praised his team's performance after the Proteas defeated Canada by 57 runs in their ICC Men's T20 World Cup clash at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday. Markram highlighted the importance of staying focused against any opponent. "Important to win, we've seen at the start, anyone can beat anyone. You don't take anyone lightly," he said during the post-match presentation, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. The skipper also lauded the finishing partnership between David Miller and Tristan Stubbs. "[Stubbs-Miller finishing innings] Big time, really important phase of the game. They had to do a bit of rebuilding before teeing off, and they did that well."

Reflecting on South Africa's pace bowling, Markram said, they bowled really well, there was a bit on offer, and then the dew came in.

'We are proud': Canada Captain Dilpreet Bajwa

After losing the contest, Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa expressed pride in his team's performance. "We were expecting 170-175, they are a good batting line-up, but we leaked some extras runs and loose balls," Bajwa said. He also praised Ansh Patel, noting that he bowled really well. Bajwa highlighted the contributions of Navneet Dhaliwal, who scored a fighting fifty. "His experience helps us, we haven't played much competitive cricket against big teams. We were expecting a big loss, but we are proud."

"Our batting, we were aggressive in the powerplay. We need to play properly against UAE," he added.

Player of the Match Lungi Ngidi on his spell

Lungi Ngidi, who was named Player of the Match for his four-wicket haul against Canada, spoke about his approach while bowling. "Have to find a way to take wickets, take risks. Sometimes you go for boundaries, but bowling risky balls sometimes end up in the wickets column."

"It was trial and error, we tried something and had a chat. Worked it out as we went. But pretty straightforward with the new ball. We knew our attack brought pace, but for me, variations catch people out. Try to do what I do best, change it up and keep guys guessing," he added.

Match Summary

South Africa defeated Canada by 57 runs in their ICC T20 World Cup clash at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, riding on a clinical bowling performance by Lungi Ngidi. Chasing a mammoth target of 214, Canada struggled against the Proteas' pace attack, with Ngidi taking a four-wicket haul to trigger a top-order collapse, while Navneet Dhaliwal's fifty was the lone resistance.

Brief Score

Brief Score: South Africa 213/4 (Aiden Markram 59, David Miller 39; Ansh Patel 31/3), Canada 156/8 (Navneet Dhaliwal 64, Harsh Thaker 33; Lungi Ngidi 4/31). (ANI)

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