In the third ODI between South Africa and Australia in Potchefstroom, it appeared that South Africa was well on their way to securing their first victory of the series. Australia was struggling at 198/7 in pursuit of a formidable target of 339.
The exceptional performance by South Africa’s bowlers, particularly the world-class spin duo of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, was the highlight of the match. Additionally, Quinton de Kock made a significant contribution behind the stumps, with two crucial stumpings, one of which would become a memorable moment in the cricketing world.
During the 24th over, Marcus Stoinis faced off against Keshav Maharaj. Maharaj expertly delivered a flighted ball to entice Stoinis forward before spinning it away, leaving the Australian batsman off balance. However, Stoinis displayed remarkable composure, momentarily raising his foot above the crease to avoid losing his balance.
Astonishingly, this split-second maneuver was enough time for Quinton de Kock to swiftly remove the bails with his gloves, utilizing a technique reminiscent of the legendary MS Dhoni. Although de Kock was quite a distance from the stumps when he collected the ball, he demonstrated extraordinary presence of mind by redirecting the Kookaburra towards the wickets while nestling it in his gloves, resulting in a lightning-fast stumping.
I still can't get over Quinton de Kock stumping, damit that was fast #SAvAus pic.twitter.com/FmGLUgn4Bx
— Tumelo Tshepo Moeketsi (@Tucha_Moeketsi) September 12, 2023
Initially, Maharaj appeared unfazed by the third-umpire review, but his excitement soared when the replays confirmed the incredible feat accomplished by his wicket-keeper. Twitterati wasted no time in showering praise on the soon-to-be retiring veteran for this remarkable moment.