IND vs SA: 2nd T20I Review – Suryakumar, KL Rahul shine in India’s 16-run win
India won the second T20I match against South Africa by 16 runs to secure the three-match series on Sunday. The top-order batters put impressive knocks to guide India to a big total of 237/3 runs in 20 overs while batting first. South African batters struggled for big knocks in their chase and fell 16 runs short at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
The Proteas’ captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and invited India to bat first. But bowlers didn’t get any help form the pitch as expected and that proved very costly for the visitors. Indian opener Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul put a big 96-run partnership for the first wicket in just 9.5 overs.
Keshav Maharaj dismissed Rohit in the 10th over who scored 43 runs off 37 balls. Rahul smashed 57 runs off just 28 balls before getting out on Maharaj’s delivery in the 12th over. Then in-form Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav continued that good start with a 103-run partnership for the third wicket.
Suryakumar smashed the highest 61 runs off just 22 balls before getting runout in the 19th over. Kohli remained unbeaten on 49 runs as Dinesh Karthik finished the innings with two big sixes in the last over to put a big 237/3 score in 20 overs, India’s fourth-highest in the format and the highest against the Proteas.
While chasing a big total, South Africa lost their captain Temba Bavuma on duck again on Arshdeep Singh’s delivery in the second over. Arshdeep then dismissed Rilee Rossow on duck in the same over to give India an early lead. The star batter Aiden Markram smashed 33 runs off 19 balls before getting bowled out on Axar Patel’s delivery and the visitors were struggling 47/3 in 6.2 overs.
But Indian bowlers struggled for wickets for the rest of the match as David Miller and Quinton de Kock smashed unbeaten 174-run partnership to drag South Africa to an inch closer to the target. Miller smashed the highest 106 runs off 47 balls and de Kock remained unbeaten 69 runs off 48 balls. For India, Arshdeep took two wickets but conceded 62 runs in his four-over spell. However, the big total on the board eventually proved sufficient for India to clinch the game as well as the series.
Top performers of the match:
David Miller:
The struggling South African batter ended his poor run of form with a big unbeaten 106 runs off just 47 balls with the help of eight fours and seven sixes. With this knock, he also became South Africa’s leading run-scorer in the T20I cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav:
The in-form Indian batter smashed 61 runs off just 22 balls with the help of five fours and five big sixes to guide India to a big total.
What’s next for both teams?
Both teams will travel to Indore for the third and last match of the series scheduled at Holkar Cricket Stadium Tuesday, October 4.
