Finance
India thrashed South Africa by 82 runs at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday, led by Dinesh Karthik’s blistering 55 and Avesh Khan’s 4/18.
Despite losing the toss for the fourth time in a row, India won the match, bringing the five-match series to a 2-2 tie, with Sunday’s match in Bengaluru now a winner-take-all affair.
After Karthik’s career-best 27-ball 55, hitting nine fours and two sixes at a strike-rate of 203.7, and sharing a 65-run stand off 33 balls with Hardik Pandya (46 off 31 balls), propelled India to a competitive 169/6, South Africa were never in the chase from the start, with only three batters reaching double figures and crashed to 87 all out in 16.5 overs.
With India’s bowlers consistently hitting hard lengths, seamers finding variable bounce, and spinners keeping things tight while getting a hint of turn, South Africa found it difficult to chase 170. The bounce off Bhuvneshwar Kumar hit captain Temba Bavuma on the shoulder. However, while taking a single off Avesh Khan, Bavuma injured his left elbow and had to retire injured for eight runs.
With the visitors struggling with their timing and Bavuma leaving the crease, South Africa appeared to be in trouble. Quinton de Kock was run-out for 14 after a massive mix-up for a quick single.
Dwaine Pretorius attempted to break free from dot-ball pressure by slogging in the next over, but was caught behind off Avesh Khan for a six-ball duck.
In the eighth over, Heinrich Klassen survived a lbw appeal on an umpire’s call off Axar Patel. But in the next over, he failed to connect with Yuzvendra Chahal’s sweep and was trapped in front of stumps. Harshal got one to jag in and uproot the off-stump of David Miller, the next batter to fall. Avesh ensured that the South African challenge was effectively over in the 14th over.
He got Rassie van der Dussen to hole out to deep midwicket, then rattled Marco Jansen with a bouncer and got him to hole out to the same region on the very next ball.
Avesh finished the over by easily catching Keshav Maharaj at mid-on. Chahal and Axar finished the innings with a wicket each, completing India’s thrashing of the Proteas.
Brief Scores: India 169/6 in 20 overs (Dinesh Karthik 55, Hardik Pandya 46; Lungi Ngidi 2/20, Anrich Nortje 1/21) beat South Africa 87/9 in 16.5 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 20, Quinton de Kock 14, Avesh Khan 4/18, Yuzvendra Chahal 2/21) by 82 runs
Source:Web
