West Indies Stage Dramatic Comeback Against South Africa in T20 World Cup Clash

West Indies Overcome Early Struggles

In a thrilling ICC T20 World Cup Super Eight match held in Ahmedabad, West Indies managed to post a total of 176/8 in their 20 overs, thanks to a remarkable 89-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder. This partnership came after the team faced a challenging start, finding themselves at 83/7 at one point.

Shepherd scored 52 runs off 37 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes, while Holder contributed 49 runs from 31 balls, including three fours and three sixes. Together, they amassed 58 runs in the last five overs.

Proteas' Bowling Disrupts Windies' Momentum

After winning the toss, South Africa opted to field first. West Indies' captain Shai Hope immediately put pressure on spinner Keshav Maharaj, hitting a six and a four in the first over, accumulating 17 runs.

Brandon King also started strong, scoring 21 runs off 11 balls before being dismissed by Lungi Ngidi. The West Indies quickly found themselves in trouble as Kagiso Rabada took two crucial wickets, leaving them at 31/2 in just 2.5 overs.

Middle-Order Collapse for West Indies

The West Indies continued to struggle as they lost more wickets, with Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford both falling cheaply. By the end of the powerplay, they were at 52/4.

The situation worsened when they reached 83/7 in 10.2 overs, with Jason Holder and Matthew Forde at the crease, trying to stabilize the innings.

Remarkable Recovery by Shepherd and Holder

Shepherd's six over long-off marked the 100-run milestone for West Indies in the 13th over. The duo of Shepherd and Holder began to build a solid partnership, reaching 118/7 by the end of the 15th over.

They continued to score freely, with Holder hitting two sixes and two fours in a single over from Marco Jansen, which cost 23 runs. Despite a late comeback from the South African bowlers, the pair's efforts propelled West Indies to a respectable total of 176/8.

Bowling Highlights for South Africa

Ngidi was the standout bowler for South Africa, finishing with figures of 3/30 in four overs, while Rabada took 2/22. Bosch also contributed with 2/31, but Jansen struggled, conceding 50 runs in his four overs.