Indian Batting Falters on Spin-Friendly Pitch
In the second T20 match at St. George’s Oval, Gqeberha, India’s batting lineup struggled on a pitch favorable to spinners. Despite scoring centuries in previous matches, Sanju Samson was bowled for a duck. Opener Abhishek Sharma started the innings with a boundary off Coetzee but was caught by Marco Jansen after attempting a pull shot. Hardik Pandya emerged as India’s top scorer with a fighting unbeaten 39 runs off 45 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six. India faced early setbacks, losing three wickets for just 15 runs in the first four overs, including captain Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh. Akshar Patel tried to stabilize the innings with a cautious 27 before being run out in the 12th over. Arshdeep Singh’s last-ball six pushed India’s total to 124/6. South African bowlers, including Jansen, Coetzee, Markram, Peter, and Simelane, each claimed a wicket.
South Africa’s Chase and Stubbs’ Heroics
South Africa’s innings began with a brisk start by Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks, but Arshdeep Singh dismissed Rickelton for 13, caught by Rinku. Varun Chakravarthy’s exceptional bowling saw him claim key wickets, including captain Markram and Hendricks, tightening India’s grip on the game. Chakravarthy’s four-over spell yielded impressive figures of 5/17, with Jansen, Klaasen, and Miller also falling victim to his spin.
Match Result
Superb Cricket from our Proteas!
South Africa win by 3 wickets
The series is now level at 1-1.
Next stop, Centurion#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/du7zjYW2KZ— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 10, 2024
Despite India’s bowling efforts, South African batter Tristan Stubbs’ resilient performance turned the match around. Stubbs remained unbeaten with 47 runs off 41 balls, featuring seven boundaries. His crucial 42-run partnership with Gerald Coetzee, who contributed an aggressive 19 off nine balls, secured South Africa’s victory. Chasing 124, South Africa reached 128/7 in 19 overs, ending India’s 11-match winning streak in T20 internationals.
