David Miller opened up about his emotions after South Africa’s loss to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. The left-hand batter revealed how devastated he felt after his dismissal in the last over of the match.
With South Africa needing 16 runs to win in the final over, Miller hit a ball that seemed destined for a six. However, Suryakumar Yadav took a brilliant catch, and Miller’s dismissal sealed South Africa’s fate.
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In a recent interview, Miller expressed his feelings of frustration, disappointment, and failure after the loss.
What did David Miller say when reflecting on his emotions?
Miller shared that the loss was hard to digest, especially after South Africa's strong performance throughout the tournament. He admitted feeling like he let his country and teammates down.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Miller said,
"Pretty hard to explain, but yeah, I suppose anger is probably one of them. Frustration, disappointment, failure, all these negative things come into your head. I watch a lot of different sports and they always talk about the moment to win the game. And I suppose that was the moment to win the game. And it wasn't to be for me. I took it pretty hard. I felt like I had let the country down, I had let myself and my teammates down. I almost just didn't want to walk off the field," said Miller.
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Reflecting on the final over, Miller explained that he wasn’t expecting a full toss from Hardik Pandya. Although he felt he had made good contact with the ball, the small margins in the game meant that the shot didn’t go his way.
Suryakumar Yadav’s remarkable catch at the boundary was the turning point that ended South Africa’s hopes. David Miller was also asked if he would have chosen a different shot in hindsight. He explained that it came down to small margins, and he didn’t connect with the ball as well as he had hoped.
"No, I wouldn't have, other than maybe getting a little bit better contact. I wasn't actually expecting a full toss like that. I always do have a full toss in mind, but it caught me a little off guard and I got it just slightly wrong. But it was a little breeze that was kind of coming across us, not necessarily into us, more slightly in and across. So yeah, the margins are so small. I actually thought I had enough on it," he added.
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Miller admitted that recovering from the loss has been difficult. Despite South Africa’s excellent campaign, the defeat still stings.
He highlighted that sports can be brutal and that not every outcome is fair. However, Miller hopes to use this experience as motivation and learn from the loss to come back stronger.
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