NEW DELHI: For Tristan Stubbs, sharing the middle with David Miller is more than just a tactical advantage for South Africa; it is the realisation of a childhood dream, and the power-hitter said that throughout his transformative years, he moulded his game around how Miller plays.
Long before Stubbs emerged as one of the Proteas’ most exciting finishers, he was a schoolboy in Gqeberha trying to copy the fearless strokeplay of Miller. Now 25, the hard-hitting right-hander finds himself not only performing the same finishing role for the national side but doing so alongside the man he idolised growing up.
"I love batting with Dave [Miller]. I pretty much watched him my whole junior years and tried to mould my game around Dave and the way he plays the backend, " Stubbs said.
For years, Miller was the youthful free spirit in the South African dressing room, equally at home launching sixes as he was on a surfboard or golf course. The similarities with Stubbs are striking. Both thrive in high-pressure chases, both back their power at the death, and both carry a calm assurance that belies the chaos often unfolding around them.