In a thrilling encounter on Thursday, South Africa secured a decisive 51-run victory over India in the second T20 international, leveling the series. Quinton de Kock played a pivotal role, scoring 90 off just 46 balls.
Starting on the outskirts of Chandigarh, South Africa batted first and set a formidable target of 213 for 4. De Kock’s explosive innings included five fours and seven sixes, providing an impressive foundation for the South African innings. He shared a crucial 83-run partnership for the second wicket with skipper Aiden Markram, who contributed 29 runs.
In response, India struggled, losing their top order quickly. Despite a notable 62 off 34 balls by Tilak Varma, the team was bowled out for 162 in just 19.1 overs. Medium-pacer Ottneil Baartman was the standout bowler for South Africa, taking four wickets for 24 runs.
De Kock’s innings began aggressively as he dispatched left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh for two sixes in the initial overs. He reached his 17th T20 half-century with a boundary off Hardik Pandya but was eventually run out, falling short of a century.
David Miller added 20 runs and Donovan Ferreira finished strong with an unbeaten 30, including two sixes in the final over against Jasprit Bumrah. Their contributions helped secure a challenging total for India to chase.
India’s innings got off to a disastrous start as Shubman Gill was dismissed on his first ball by Lungi Ngidi. Marco Jansen dealt further blows by taking the wickets of Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav, leaving India reeling at 67-4.
Though Varma and Axar Patel attempted a counter-attack, Baartman’s breakthrough delivery ended Axar’s innings. Despite some resistance from Varma and Hardik Pandya, wickets fell regularly. Lutho Sipamla’s dismissals of Pandya and Sharma effectively sealed India’s fate, leading to their eventual collapse.
With two matches left in the series, the next game will take place on Sunday in Dharamsala, paving the way for an exciting continuation as both teams prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in early 2024.