South Africa, whose second name is unpredictability, seem to be playing the game of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. One day they are just brilliant and on another day they are loathsome. After the incredible show the other day in the second T20I, the visitors crash landed at Dharamshala and caved in to a -wicket loss.
The visitors put up a shoddy batting display on a seamer-friendly track. It needed a skill set which the South African batters, barring skipper Aiden Markram, didn’t demonstrate on this day. On the other hand, the Indian batters fared better. Once Quinton de Kock was sent back to the pavilion, the South Africans seem to have panicked and they didn’t have a Plan B to counter the Indian bowlers, who were all over them.
The Indians, who were without the services of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, didn’t seem to miss him. His replacement Harshit Rana filled up his shoes admirably and the bowling looked quite lethal. Arshdeep Singh gave India a flying start and justified skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to bowl first. He trapped Reeza Hendricks (0) leg before off the fourth ball of the innings.
Rana then got into the act by sending back the dangerous Quinton de Kock (1) with just one on the board. Rana scalped his second wicket by castling Dewald Brevis (2). Not to be left behind, Hardik Pandya had Tristan Stubbs (9) caught behind by Jitesh Sharma to leave South Africa tottering at four for 30.
Shivam Dube got rid of Corbin Bosch to make it five for44. Donovan Ferreira (20) struck a couple of lusty blows, but it was too good to last. Marco Jensen (2) joined the parade, and the visitors were reeling at seven for 77. Markam, who was watching the mayhem from the other end, did his best to give some respectability to the total. He scored a 46-ball 61 with six fours and two sixes but fell with the score reading 113.
South Africa trying out different combinations: Zaheer
“I think that SA is trying different combinations and giving opportunities to all the players so that they can get some idea about playing in Indian conditions against this Indian lineup which is on a long winning run. It will be really helpful for them in the World Cup but at the same time they need to bat sensibly. Batters are not giving enough run for bowlers to make amends of it,” said former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan.
The Indians were in no mood to look the gift horse in the mouth. Shubman Gill survived a close call without opening the score but that was the closest the visitors came in the early part of the innings.
Southpaw Abhishek Sharma was at his best as he waded into the South African pacers. Abhishak made an 18-ball 35 with three fours and an equal number of sixes before falling to Corbin Bosch.
Gill, who was far from convincing, was bowled by Jansen for a painstaking 28. And skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s woeful continued unabated. He fell for 12. However, Tilak Varma, who once again showcased that he has not only the skills but also the game sense needed to tackle tough situations, ensured that there were no further hiccups.
Indina replied with 120 for three with Tilak remaining unbeaten on 26 and giving him company was Shivam Dube on 10. The hosts take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series and the circus now moves to Lucknow.
“It was doing a bit for the seamers. Other than that, tough conditions. Never played in a ground that’s this chill. We had a bowling meeting and some honest conversations. Credit to management and bowlers for a two-way conversation. I was trying to stick to my strength. The ball was skidding more than turning, that’s what I tried to do it,” said Varun Chakravarthy, who wasn’t aware that he had got past 50 T20I wickets.
SCOREBOARD
South Africa: Q de Kock lbw Rana 1, R Hendricks lbw Arshdeep 0, A Markram c Sharma b Arshdeep 61, D Brevis b Rana 2, T Stubbs c Sharma b Pandya 9, C Bosch b Dube 4, D Ferreira b Varun 20, M Jansen b Varun 2, A Nortje st Sharma b Yadav 12, L Ngidi (not out) 2, O Baartman c Suryakumar b Yadav 1. Extras: (B1, LB2) 3. Total: (All out in 20 overs) 117.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-1, 3-7, 4-30, 5-44, 6-69, 7-77, 8-113, 9-115.
Bowling: Arshdeep Singh 4-0-13-2, Harshit Rana 4-0-34-2, Hardik Pandya 3-0-23-1, Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-11-2, Shivam Dube 3-0-21-1, Kuldeep Yadav 2-0-12-2.
India: A Sharma c Markram b Bosch 35, S Gill b Jansen 28, T Varma (not out) 26, Suryakumar Yadav c Baartman b Ngidi 12, S Dube (not out) 10. Extras: (LB7, W2) 9. Total: (For three wickets in 15.5 overs) 120.
Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-92, 3-109.
Bowling: L Ngidi 3-0-23-1, M Jansen 3-0-24-1, O Baartman 3.5-0-34-0, C Bosch 3-0-18-1, A Nortje 3-0-14-0.
