Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma had set the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad ablaze with their pyrotechnics with the willow and when South Africa threatened to take the fight to the rival camp, Jasprit Bumrah got rid of the dangerous Quinton de Kock to derail the chase. India cruised to a 30-run victory to win the series 3-1 on Friday night. The win sealed India’s eighth consecutive T20I series triumph, a streak that began in December 2023.
Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks gave South Africa a blazing start by adding 69 for the opening wicket in 6.3 overs before leggie Varun Chakravarthy had Hendricks (13) caught by Shivam Dube. That didn’t stop de Kock as continued with his onslaught. In the company of Dewald Brevis, Quinton was breathing down India’s necks. Brevis too joined the party, and the duo added 51 for the second wicket.
The pair was keen on taking their team across the line, but Bumrah had other ideas. He got rid of de Kock in the 11th over, caught and bowled, and that virtually stemmed the rot. Quinton de Kock, who has been in terrific form in the series, made a 35-ball 65 with nine fours and three sixes.
Varun then struck twice in one over and the South African challenge had almost come to an end. Bumrah was the only bowler in the game not to concede a boundary. He finished with figures of two for 17 and Varun took four for 53 as South Africa were restricted to 201 for eight.
Hardik at his belligerent best
Earlier, coming into bat after skipper Suryakumar Yadav (5) yet again failed to make a mark, Pandya took the bowlers by the scruff of their necks and by the time he was finished, India was right on top. Pandya fell to Baartman in the final over but not before he had slammed five fours and five sixes in his 25-ball 63.
Giving him company in dispatching the cherry to the fence was Hyderabadi lad Tilak Varma. The duo added 105 for the fourth wicket. The southpaw as again at his best, as he has done in the series. Tilak capitalized on the quick start given by the openers and went about smacking the bowlers to the fence. He was run out of the penultimate ball of the innings. His 42-ball 73 contained 10 boundaries and a six.
Earlier, Sanju Samson, who replaced the injured Shubman Gill, made an attractive 37 off 22 balls with fours boundaries and two over it. Abhishek Sharma was at his usual best as he made a 21-ball 34 with six fours and a six. Sanju and Abhishek had added 63 for the first wicket in 5.4 overs to lay the foundation.
SCOREBOARD
India: Sanju Samson b Linde 37, Abhishek Sharma c de Kock b Bosch 34, Tilak Varma (run out) 73, Suryakumar Yadav c Miller b Bosch 5, Hardik Pandya c Hendricks b Baartman 63, Shivam Dube (not out) 10, Jitesh Sharma (not out) 0; Extras: (LB3, W6) 9. Total: (For 5 wickets, 20 overs) 231.
Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-97, 3-115, 4-220, 5-227.
Bowling: Lungi Ngidi 4-0-29-0, Marco Jansen 4-0-40-0, Ottneil Baartman 3-0-39-1, Corbin Bosch 3-0-44-2, Donovan Ferreira 2-0-20-0, George Linde 4-0-46-1.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock c & b Bumrah 65, Reeza Hendricks c Dube b Varun 13, Dewald Brevis c Sundar b Pandya 31, David Miller c Samson b Arshdeep 18, Aiden Markram lbw Varun 6, Donovan Ferreira b Varun 0, George Linde b Varun 16, Marco Jansen c Samson b Bumrah 14, Corbin Bosch (not out) 17, Lungi Ngidi (not out) 7; Extras: (W14). Total: (For eight wickets, 20 overs) 201.
Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-120, 3-122, 4-135, 5-135, 6-154, 7-163, 8-177.
Bowling: Arshdeep Singh 4-0-47-1, Washington Sundar 4-0-30-0, Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-17-2, Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-53-4, Hardik Pandya 3-0-41-1, Abhishek Sharma 1-0-13-0.
