In a thrilling encounter marked by wet conditions, South Africa secured a five-wicket victory (DLS method) against India in the second T20 International of the three-match series. Reeza Hendricks played a pivotal role, scoring 49 runs off 27 balls, guiding the Proteas to a 1-0 lead in the series.
Rain disruptions resulted in the match being reduced to 15 overs per side after an hour-long interruption. The revised target for South Africa was 152 runs by the DLS method, and they successfully chased it down with seven balls to spare, finishing at 154-5 in 13.5 overs.
Pacer Gerald Coetzee showcased an impressive performance, picking up three wickets for 32 runs in 3.3 overs. Despite the wet conditions, India managed to post a competitive total of 180-7 in 19.3 overs, with Rinku Singh registering his first T20 half-century.
Chasing a challenging run rate from the start, Hendricks set a rapid pace, forming a crucial partnership of 41 runs off 17 balls with Matthew Breetzke. Hendricks, along with skipper Aiden Markram (30), added 54 runs off 30 balls, propelling South Africa to 96-1 in 7.4 overs. Hendricks’s aggressive innings included eight fours and a six.
Following a quick succession of wickets, South Africa stumbled to 108-4, but David Miller’s contribution of 17 runs off 12 balls and partnerships with Tristan Stubbs (14) helped secure the win for the Proteas.
Reflecting on the match, Dale Steyn refused to blame India for the defeat, emphasizing the challenging conditions. “India were on the wrong side of the conditions. It wasn’t possible to hold the ball, and as a bowler, you can’t do much about it,” Steyn remarked.
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India faced early setbacks, losing both openers Yashaswi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill for ducks. However, Tilak Varma (29 off 20) and Suryakumar Yadav (56 off 36) steadied the innings with a 49-run partnership. Rinku Singh played a stellar role, scoring an unbeaten 68 off 39 balls and guiding India past the 180-mark.
The third T20 International is set to take place in Johannesburg on Thursday, with both teams eager to secure a series victory.
