Team India came out triumphant over South Africa in a high-scoring encounter in Guwahati in the penultimate T20I of the series on Sunday to secure an unassailable 2-0 lead over the visitors. The hosts won by only 16 runs despite posting a gigantic score of 237/3 in their allotted 20 overs.
It was a case of fine margins despite a huge total on the board since both teams had major failures with ball in hand. That would, however, be denying their batters the credit, with Indians dominating the first half before the Proteas nearly responded in equal measure. It didn’t help the bowlers that the game was played on arguably the flattest wicket of the season so far, with the dew also piling on their troubles.
Having lost the toss and being asked to bat first, India started off brilliantly thanks to another solid stand at the top between Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. Interestingly, the roles were reserved this time. While the captain played a slowish knock of 43 off 37 balls – which could have cost his team on the night – Rahul came out blasting the opposition attacking for his skilful 57 off just 28 balls, featuring 5 fours and 4 sixes.
Rohit’s rare lack of impetus inside the powerplay and then Virat Kohli taking some time to get going at No.3 threatened to derail the Indian progress. But at No.4, the team’s most in-form batter Suryakumar Yadav played another characteristic knock to resurrect the proceedings for his team. The attacking right-hander smashed the Proteas for a memorable 62 off only 22 balls, including 5 fours and 5 sixes.
Suryakumar’s knock inspired Kohli to also hit the top gear as the Indian batting great went from 10 off 10 at one stage to score 39 runs off his next 18 balls in the middle. Kohli remained unbeaten and would’ve had the chance to score another fifty in what is a gradual resurrection phase for him. But the batter selflessly asked India’s end-overs aggressor Dinesh Karthik to farm the strike and maximise the 20th over. Karthik finished with an unbeaten 17 off 7 deliveries.
Keshav Maharaj made bowling look easy amidst carnage from the other end. The left-arm spinner conceded 2 for 23 off his 4 overs when the rest of the South Africa attack gave 215 runs off their collective 16 overs with just one scalp to their name. The theme was similar to the Indian bowling effort later in the night, where seamer Deepak Chahar bowled a critical spell of 0/24 even as the rest of the cast was taken for plenty.
That South Africa still couldn’t manage to match the Indian batting effort was down to their skipper Temba Bavuma’s disappointing seven-ball duck inside the powerplay and also due to a rare bad start from Quinton de Kock, who was at a match-losing 20 off 20 at one stage of his innings. He did finish with 69 off 48. But having played out a sizable chunk of his innings without hitting the top gear, he was majorly responsible for the defeat where the tourists fell three big hits short of winning.
South Africa were staring down the barrel at 47 for 3, before David Miller started to change the game with the sheer quality of his range-hitting against spin and pace both. The left-hander pulverised the Indian attack through his 46-ball century, eventually finishing with an unbeaten 106 off 47 balls. His innings was marked with outstanding strokeplay against the seamers and also evident improvement in his footwork against spin.
Despite his knock, though, Miller had to deal with the dismay of finishing on the losing side as India took the series honours with a game to spare in Indore on October 4.
Brief scores
India 237/3 in 20 overs (Yadav 62, Rahul 57; Maharaj 2/23) beat South Africa 221/3 in 20 overs (Miller 106*, De Kock 69*; Arshdeep 2/62) by 16 runs
