Pandya and Karthik shared a partnership of 65 runs in 33 balls to take India to a good score.
Pandya and Karthik shared a partnership of 65 runs in 33 balls to take India to a good score.
Dinesh Karthik played a knock to remember, before Avesh Khan gifted his father a “perfect birthday gift” as India scored an 82-run five-match series 2-2 in Rajkot on Friday. for 82 runs against South Africa. Karthik (55 off 27) scored his first half-century in close to 16 years since his T20I debut and took India to 169 for six along with vice-captain Hardik Pandya (46 off 31).
For the second game in a row, the South African batsmen stumbled and scored 87 for nine in 16.5 overs to the retired hurt of captain Temba Bavuma. Avesh (4/18) led India’s scintillating performance with the ball, registering career-best figures in the process. This was the lowest score by an away team in T20 Internationals in India.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh were impressive with the new ball as South Africa were reduced to 35 for two in the Powerplay. Following a shoulder injury, Temba Bavuma (8) injured his left elbow while diving on the run and had to leave the field. He did not even come out for the presentation ceremony after the match.
Quinton de Kock (14), who missed the last two games due to a wrist injury, was run out at the other end after being dismissed for a ‘yes and no’ by Dwayne Pretorius. The pitch remained difficult to bat in the second innings as well, with odd ball gripping and quick rise from good length, making strokeplay difficult.
South Africa could never chase down the target with regular wickets falling. The decider of the series will be played in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Earlier, India were struggling at 81 for four before a 65-run stand between Hardik and Karthik brought the home team back into the game. India could score only 73 runs in the last five overs.
Winning their fourth toss in as many matches, South Africa put the Indians on the back foot in the Powerplay despite the absence of their lead bowler Kagiso Rabada due to injury.
The other fast bowler to miss due to injury was Wayne Parnell while star opener Quinton de Kock made a welcome comeback at the cost of Reeza Hendrix.
The first ball after the powerplay made things worse for India as the hosts posted 40 for three in 6.1 overs.
Ishan Kishan, who played some fine strokes on his way to 27 off 26, was dismissed by Enrique Nortje’s opening spell.
The southpaw tries to guide the short ball to third man but puts himself in an awkward position and gets it to de Kock.
India’s top three players did not look comfortable against high quality pace in the series and that was once again evident here.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who found form in the previous game, was the first to pull out after an extra bounce from Lungi Ngidi.
Iyer, who was troubled by a short delivery in the series, missed a good length delivery from Marco Jensen, which pitched on the middle and backed off a bit.
The Proteas had to review the DRS for lbw to send Iyer back to the hut, giving Jansen the first wicket on his T20I debut.
After the powerplay, captain Rishabh Pant and Hardik took the innings forward with a partnership of 41 runs.
The Indian batsmen targeted the spinners of South Africa’s weak link throughout the series and this trend continued on Friday as well.
Hardik hit consecutive sixes off Tabrez Shamsi while struggling Rishabh Pant was trying to find his range at the other end.
However, the India captain once again played a big knock against a wide ball and it led to his downfall. On this occasion, Maharaj threw a deliberate wide and Pant used the bat to return it to short third man.
This was the fourth time in the series that Pant was dismissed off-stump.
The pace-changing approach came through Hardik and Karthik who opened a memorable innings.
When India played their first match in the shortest format after making their T20I debut in December 2006, the comeback man completed his maiden half-century.
Standing deep in the crease, Karthik relied on a sweep – traditional for square-leg, slog at cow corner and over ’45’ against spinners and pacers, to get the bulk of his boundary.
The most striking stroke of his innings was a slog sweep by fast bowler Dwayne Pretorius who went to deep square leg.
score board
India’s innings: Ruturaj Gaikwad c de Kock b Lungi Ngidi 5 Ishan Kishan c de Kock b Nortje 27 Shreyas Iyer lbw b Marco Jansen 4 Rishabh Pant c Pretorius b Maharaj 17 Hardik Pandya c Shamsi b Lungi Ngidi 46 Dinesh Karthik c van der Dussen b Pretorius 55 Akshar Patel 8 not out Harshal Patel 1 not out: (LB-2, W-3, NB-1) 6
gross: (6 wickets, 20 overs) 169
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-24, 3-40, 4-81, 5-146, 6-159
South Africa Bowling: Marco Janssen 4-0-38-1, Lungi Ngidi 3-0-20-2, Dwayne Pretorius 4-0-41-1, Enrique Nortje 3-0-21-1, Tabrez Shamsi 2-0-18-0, Keshav Maharaj 4-0-29-1.
South Africa innings: Quinton de Kock run out (Hershal Patel) 14 Temba Bavuma 8 Dwayne Pretorius c Pant b Avesh Khan 0 Rassi van der Dussen c Ruturaj Gaikwad b Avesh Khan 20 Heinrich Klaasen lbw b Chahal 8 David Miller b Harshal Patel 9 Marco Jensen c Ruturaj Gaikwad b Avesh Khan 12 Keshav Maharaj c Shreyas Iyer b Avesh Khan 0 Enrique Nortj c Ishaan Kishan b Chahal 1 Lungi Ngidi c Ruturaj Gaikwad b Akshar 4 Tabrez Shamsi not out 4 Extras: (B-4, LB-2, W-1) 7
gross: (10 wickets, 16.5 overs) 87
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-26, 3-45, 4-59, 5-74, 6-74, 7-78, 8-80, 9-87.
India’s bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-0-8-0, Hardik Pandya 1-0-12-0, Avesh Khan 4-0-18-4, Harshal Patel 2-0-3-0, Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-21-2, Axar Patel 3.5-0-19-1