Varun Chakravarthy's fifer wasn't enough for India as South Africa managed to beat the visitors by three wickets in the thrilling second T20I at St George's Park in Gqeberha on November 11 to stay alive in the four-match series.
India go down to South Africa in thrilling 2nd T20I
After a dominant performance in the first match at Kingsmead, India fought hard to extend their lead. However, South Africa proved to be resilient, ultimately emerging victorious. A win for India would have given them an unassailable 2-0 lead, but the Proteas had other plans.
India's batting collapse
India's batting performance faltered in challenging conditions, allowing South Africa to level the series. India also missed the opportunity to equal their longest T20I winning streak of 12 matches. With the series tied, Suryakumar Yadav's team will strive to regain momentum in the penultimate match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on November 13.
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India, batting first, struggled to build momentum and were restricted to 124/6. Sanju Samson, who had recently achieved back-to-back T20I centuries, was dismissed for a duck by Marco Jansen. Abhishek Sharma's lean form continued as Gerald Coetzee claimed his wicket. Suryakumar Yadav also fell victim to Andile Simelane.
Tilak Varma (20 off 20) and Axar Patel (27 off 21)steadied the ship with a 30-run partnership. However, a stunning overhead catch by David Miller disrupted India's progress, dismissing Tilak Varma. Axar Patel, who was looking solid, was unfortunately run out after a deflection off Nqaba Peter's hands.
Hardik Pandya (45-ball 39) exhibited patience in the initial stages of his innings before accelerating in the death overs. He unleashed his power against Marco Jansen (1/25), smashing him for two boundaries and a massive six over the covers in the 18th over. He concluded India's innings with a boundary, pushing the team's score beyond 120 runs.
Among the South African bowlers, Keshav Maharaj stood out with economical figures of 4-0-24-0. The remaining bowlers each contributed a wicket to the team's bowling effort.
South Africa made a strong start to their chase, keeping the required run-rate below a run-a-ball after the first two overs. Ryan Rickelton (13 off 11), the leading run-scorer of SA20 2024, contributed 13 runs before being dismissed by Arshdeep Singh (1/41). However, South Africa's momentum slowed down as Varun Chakravarthy removed Reeza Hendricks (24 off 21) and Aiden Markram (3 off 8)in quick succession, reducing them to 34/2 in the powerplay.
India, with a firm grip on the game, continued to apply pressure. South Africa opted for an unconventional move by promoting Marco Jansen up the order, but the strategy backfired as Chakravarthy dismissed him. With a high required run-rate, the onus was on David Miller and Tristan Stubbs to accelerate the innings.
Varun Chakravarthy's fifer goes in vain
Varun Chakravarthy (5/17) continued his impressive performance, dismissing David Miller after removing Klaasen (2 off 3). The off-spinner completed his maiden five-wicket haul, finishing with remarkable figures of 4-0-17-5. His bowling effort reduced South Africa to a precarious 67/6, pushing the required run-rate to a challenging 8.09 with seven overs remaining.
When the match seemed to be slipping away from South Africa, Tristan Stubbs (47 off 41) took charge. The young batter scored a quickfire 47 off 41 balls, including seven fours, to guide the Proteas to a thrilling six-ball victory. Gerald Coetzee also contributed significantly with a quickfire 19 off nine balls, providing valuable support to Stubbs which helped South Africa get through the finishing line.
