New Delhi: In a thrilling second T20 match in Cape Town, South Africa stormed back to level the series 1-1 against India, chasing down the target of 125 with three balls to spare. After a shaky start by India, South Africa’s decisive bowling and strategic batting partnerships turned the game in their favor.
India’s Struggles with the Bat
Winning the toss, South African captain Aiden Markram opted to bowl, a decision that immediately paid off. India’s top order crumbled early, as Sanju Samson fell for a duck and Abhishek Sharma was dismissed with only four runs. Suryakumar Yadav followed with another single-digit score, managing just four runs. Hardik Pandya, despite his steady 39 off 45 balls, could not spark the innings as India struggled to gain momentum.
Tilak Verma and Axar Patel stabilized the innings briefly, putting together a 30-run partnership for the fourth wicket, scoring 27 and 31 runs, respectively. However, wickets continued to fall at critical moments. Axar was run out in the 12th over, leaving India at 70 for five. Rinku Singh’s contribution of nine runs added little impact before he too was dismissed. Pandya then rallied alongside Arshdeep Singh, adding a valuable 37-run stand for the sixth wicket that pushed India to a respectable but modest total of 124/6.
South African bowlers were highly effective, with each of Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Nkabayomzi Peter, and Markram taking one wicket. Their disciplined bowling kept India’s run rate in check and minimized boundaries, setting the stage for a chase that favored the hosts.
South Africa’s Calculated Chase
South Africa started their chase with caution, wary of India’s spin attack. However, with steady progress and well-timed boundaries, they kept their wickets in hand. Tristan Stubbs was the star of the innings, anchoring the chase with a composed 47 not out off 41 balls. His partnership with Gerald Coetzee proved to be decisive as Coetzee struck an unbeaten 19 off just nine balls in the closing overs. Together, they added 42 runs in just 20 balls, propelling South Africa over the line in the penultimate over.
India’s Varun Chakravarthy shone brightly, claiming a career-best five-wicket haul for just 17 runs, keeping India’s hopes alive throughout the innings. However, his effort alone was not enough to stop South Africa’s relentless chase, as Stubbs and Coetzee’s late-game heroics sealed the victory.
This win not only levels the series but sets the stage for an exciting decider. Both teams will need to refine their strategies, as they prepare for the final showdown to claim the series.
