It was a tough start to the series as captain for Suryakumar Yadav. South Africa secured a fairly commanding five-wicket victory (via DLS method) in the rain-affected second T20I in Gqeberha, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The first match was washed out without a ball bowled.
Sent in to bat in the venue known previously as Port Elizabeth, India made a poor start. Both openers failed to make an impact on the scorecard. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell to Marco Jansen in the opening over. It was short, but not that wide, and the cut was caught brilliantly by David Miller. Lizaad Williams then trapped Shubman Gill in front in the second over.
With the total reading 6/2 after 2 overs, Surya and Tilak Varma launched a counteroffensive. Tilak’s onslaught included taking 19 off Jansen’s second over. It set the stage for Surya to display his prowess. He took 15 runs from Gerald Coetzee’s opening over, with two boundaries and a signature lap shot for six.
A solid fight from #TeamIndia but it was South Africa who won the 2nd #SAvIND T20I (via DLS Method).
We will look to bounce back in the third & final T20I of the series. 👍 👍
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/4DtSrebAgI pic.twitter.com/wfGWd7AIX4
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 12, 2023
The duo orchestrated a 49-run partnership for the third wicket in just 25 balls before Tilak departed on 29. When the power play concluded, the scoreboard read 59/3, with Surya and Rinku Singh out there in the middle.
Surya brought up his fifty in a mere 29 balls. With Rinku, he powered India past the 100-run mark. However, Tabraiz Shamsi disrupted the momentum by dismissing Surya for 56. His 36-ball innings comprised five boundaries and three sixes. Jitesh Sharma’s attempt to clear the boundary proved futile, resulting in a prompt exit soon after.
Rinku persisted, reaching his maiden T20I fifty in 30 balls. Ravindra Jadeja produced a cameo of 19 off 14 balls before succumbing in the final over. Rinku remained unbeaten on 68 off 39 balls, when the innings was stopped due to rain at 180/7 after 19.3 overs.
The intensity of the drizzle increased, prompting the umpires to lead the players off the field. The chase was revised to 15 overs, with South Africa required to score 152 for victory.
The top-order made a decisive impact, swiftly taking control of the situation. Reeza Hendricks and Matthew Breetzke attacked Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh. South Africa amassed 38 runs in their first two overs.
A miscommunication between the openers provided India with a breakthrough and sent Breetzke back to the pavilion. Aiden Markram maintained the attacking tempo with Hendricks. They built a 54-run partnership in just 30 balls, propelling South Africa to 96 in 8.4 overs. Markram’s departure for 30 off 17 balls brought a brief change to the scoring rate.
Hendricks fell in the following over for 49, followed by Heinrich Klaasen (7). This meant three wickets were gone in as many overs. The score became 108/4 from 96/1. The home team was under pressure.
David Miller, experienced in finishing matches, came together with Tristan Stubbs when their team needed 44 from 34 balls. Although they couldn’t conclude the game swiftly, they maintained a run-a-ball pace, taking it to 13 required off 13 balls. Miller fell when the victory seemed imminent.
Stubbs and Andile Phehlukwayo took South Africa to the finish. A fortuitous four from Stubbs, followed by a powerful six from Phehlukwayo, ensured that the match didn’t reach the last over. South Africa secured the win with seven balls to spare.