Mohali: Skipper Virat Kohli (72 n o, 52b, 4×4) led India to a resounding seven-wicket win over South Africa in the second T20 International as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the short three-match series here Wednesday. The skipper helped India chase down the modest target with consummate ease, getting the team home in 19 overs.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan (40, 31b, 4×4, 1×6) too made a significant contribution and shared a 61-run stand with Virat Kohli, who scored his 22nd T20 fifty. The solid batting performance came after the Indian bowlers restricted South Africa to 149 for five in 20 overs.
India were always in control of the chase despite losing Rohit Sharma (12) early. The India vice-captain was trapped in front by Andile Phehlukwayo after he pulled debutant Anrich Nortje for two sixes in the second over.
The third wicket to fall for India was that of Rishabh Pant (4). He carelessly got out even though India were cruising when he came into the middle. It was an innocuous ball from debutant spinner Bjorn Fortuin but Rishabh Pant hit it straight to the short fine-leg fielder Tabraiz Shamsi.
Earlier, South Africa captain Quinton de Kock (52, 37b, 8×4) and debutant Temba Bavuma (49, 43b, 3×4, 1×6) played impressive knocks but India managed to limit South Africa to a below-par total. The visitors did not get the final flourish they were looking for.
India bowled well in the death overs, conceding only 24 runs in the final four with pacer Deepak Chahar (2/22) being the pick of the bowlers.
Kohli sent a new-look South Africa in to bat with the visitors picking three debutants in Nortje, Fortuin and Bavuma. While Reeza Hendricks departed cheaply, Quniton de Kock looked in sublime touch from the word go.
De Kock cover drove spinner Washington Sundar on the first ball he faced before collecting three straight boundaries off pacer Navdeep Saini who was taken out of the attack after conceding 13 runs in his first over.
South Africa made only 39 for one in six overs but their innings picked up momentum after that as they reached 78 for one in 10 overs. It took a brilliant catch from skipper Kohli to dismiss his South African counterpart De Kock and shift the momentum in India’s favour.
De Kock mistimed a hit off Navdeep Saini and Kohli came running from mid-off to pounce on it, brining the crowd back to life. The stand between de Kock and Bavuma yielded 57 runs.
Vice-captain Rassie van der Dussen, South Africa’s best batsman in the World Cup, followed De Kock in the dressing room quickly by offering a simple return catch to Ravindra Jadeja in the 13th over, leaving his team at 90 for three.
Runs dried up in the death overs but South Africa got much-needed couple of sixes in the 20th over off Saini which went for 16 runs.
Brief scores: South Africa 149 for 5 (Quinton de Kock 52, Tenda Bavuma 49, Deepak Chahar 2/22) lost to India 151 for 3 in 19 overs (Virat Kohli 72 n o, Shikhar Dhawan 40) by seven wickets.
Man of the match: Virat Kohli
Agencies