Gqeberha, Nov 10 (IANS): Hardik Pandya top-scored with 39, despite being majorly off the groove, as South Africa’s disciplined bowling performance helped them restrict India to 124/6 in the second T20I at the St George’s Park on Sunday.
On a firm pitch, the seam bowlers early help and capitalised on it to get early wickets by resorting more to bowling good and short lengths. The lack of batting depth meant India could never put South Africa under pressure. Backed by some scintillating fielding, the Proteas bowled exceptionally well to keep the visitors’ quiet. Barring skipper Aiden Markram, all bowlers got into the wickets’ column.
Pushed into batting first, India didn’t have a flying start as Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma fell in the first two overs. Samson, who scored consecutive tons, missed an inswing delivery from Marco Jansen and saw the top of leg-stump being rattled.
Abhishek, who has been in lean form, survived a caught behind review off Gerald Coetzee, before giving a big top-edge on the pull to short fine leg. India plunged into deep trouble in fourth over when Suryakumar Yadav was trapped plumb lbw by a slow yorker from Andile Simelane.
Tilak Varma and Axar Patel joined forces to get India’s innings back on track with three rollicking boundaries to end the powerplay at 34/3. But the blossoming 30-run stand was ended when Tilak’s uppish inside-out drive was caught by David Miller sticking out his right hand to complete a stunning one-handed catch.
Axar tried stabilising India’s innings with four boundaries, before being run-out for 27. Hardik middled a drive off leg-spinner Nqabayomzi Peter, but the ball took a deflection off his hands and hit the stumps at non-striker’s end. By then, Axar was way outside the crease and was unfortunately run-out.
South Africa successfully managed to stem the run-flow with some tight bowling, along with Hardik and Rinku Singh not being able to find desired timing. The pressure to break free got to Rinku as he went for a slog-sweep off Peter, but gave top-edge to short fine leg.
Hardik finally got the proper connection in his shots by whipping Coetzee to mid-wicket for four, before thumping Jansen through cover for four and six. Though Hardik ended the innings with a ramp over the keeper’s head off Jansen to take India past 120, it was too little to give a great finishing flourish, as India played 19 dot balls in the last five overs.
Brief Scores: India 124/6 (Hardik Pandya 39 not out, Axar Patel 27; Nqabayomzi Peter 1-20, Andile Simelane 1-20) against South Africa