Hardik Pandya came to India’s rescue with his unbeaten 59 off 28 balls as he rescued India from a precarious position at 80/4 to get to a competitive 175/6 in 20 overs. Lungi Ngidi was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets while Lutho Sipamla finished with 2 wickets as South Africa would be the happier side despite Hardik Pandya’s brilliance.
Lungi Ngidi’s double strike rocks India in powerplay
Put into bat first once again, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill came out to bat for India while Lungi Ngidi had ball in hand for South Africa. Gill got off the mark with a slice over short third man fielder for a boundary. Ngidi hit back as he removed Gill for 4 off 2 balls with one boundary to his name as the miscue shot downtown was miscued to Jansen at mid-off who backtracked and took the catch. Captain Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat next and got off the mark as well straightaway.
Marco Jansen had ball in hand from the other end and bowled a miserly over. Ngidi continued as Surya picked it up and hit it over square leg for a boundary. Surya then whipped it away over deep square leg for the maximum. Ngidi bounced back again as Surya was removed for 12 off 11 balls with one four and one six to his name as the miscue was taken by Markram at mid-on. Tilak Varma came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Jansen continued as Abhishek rocked back and muscled it away over deep square leg for the maximum. Lutho Sipamla came into the attack next. He gave away 4 byes to the batting side to start his spell. But he came back and kept things under check. Jansen came to bowl the final over of powerplay. Tilak whipped the ball between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Tilak then helped the ball on its way through deep fine leg for a boundary. At the end of the powerplay, India were 40/2 in 6 overs with Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma at the crease.
South Africa chip away at the wickets to keep India on the back foot in the middle overs
Sipamla continued after the powerplay as Abhishek drove it to the right of mid-off for a boundary. He got to 1000 T20I runs as an opener. Abhishek then picked the length up and chipped it away over midwicket for a boundary. But Sipamla had the last laugh as he removed Abhishek for 17 off 12 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as the flick carried to deep fine leg where Marco Jansen took the catch. Axar Patel came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
The 50 came up for India in 7 overs. Anrich Nortje came onto the attack. Nortje bowled a very good first over. First signs of spin as Keshav Maharaj came into the attack next. Axar got a triple. Nortje continued as Tilak swivelled and pulled it over deep square leg for the maximum. At the completion of 10 overs, India were 71/3 as we paused for the Drinks Break.
Donovan Ferreira came into the attack after the break. He bowled a decent first over. Lungi Ngidi came back into the attack. He got rid of Tilak Varma for 26 off 32 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as the short ball was pulled straight to Jansen at deep fine leg. Hardik Pandya came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Maharaj returned to the attack as Hardik made his intentions clear by smoking the slog sweep over midwicket for the maximum.
Hardik went again as he got down on one knee and launched it over long-on down the ground for the maximum. Sipamla came back into the attack. Axar took him on nailing the shot over long-on for the maximum as the 100 came up for India in 13.5 overs. But the bowler hit back and got rid of Axar for 23 off 21 balls with one six to his name as he tried to guide it over third man and hit it straight to backward point where Ferreira takes the catch. Shivam Dube came out to bat next.
Nortje returned to the attack as Hardik threw his hands at it and slashed it away as the ball went away between backward point and deep third man for a boundary. Nortje gifted away 5 wides as a bonus to the batting side. Hardik then drilled Nortje down the ground past mid-off straight as an arrow for a boundary. India were 121/5 in 15 overs with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube at the crease.
Hardik Pandya’s blitz rescued India and helped them get a competitive 175/6
Lungi Ngidi came back into the attack. Shivam Dube joined the party as he slapped it between extra cover and mid-off for a boundary. Dube once again hit Ngidi by whipping it over long leg for a boundary. Marco Jansen came back into the attack. Hardik stood tall and played the short arm jab and placed it between deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary.
Donovan Ferreira came back into the attack and he removed Dube for 11 off 9 balls with 2 fours to his name by cleaning him up. Jitesh Sharma came out to bat next. He got off the mark straightaway. Hardik swung hard and got an inside edge as he looked to whip it away to the short fine leg fence for a boundary. Sipamla came to bowl the 19th over. Hardik took Sipamla on by staying deep and clearing his front leg to smoke it over long-off for the maximum. Hardik then flat batted it away back over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Jitesh took on Sipamla as he picked it up and pulled it over backward square leg for the maximum. Anrich Nortje came to bowl the final over of the innings. Hardik took on Nortje as he played it late and sliced it over third man for the maximum. Hardik Pandya got to his fifty in 25 balls. His 6th T20I fifty. Hardik then took on Nortje and cleared mid-on over Jansen for a boundary. India ended with 175/6 in 20 overs a competitive score. Hardik Pandya finished unbeaten on 59 off 28 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes to his name while Jitesh Sharma finished with 10* off 5 balls with one six to his innings. 13 extras given by the fielding side.
Lungi Ngidi was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/31 in 4 overs. Lutho Sipamla finished with 2/38 in 4 overs. Donovan Ferreira finished with 1/13 in 2 overs. Marco Jansen finished with 0/23 in 4 overs. Anrich Nortje gave away 41 runs in 4 overs. Keshav Maharaj finished with 0/25 in 2 overs. It meant South Africa now need 176 to win the contest in 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, India or South Africa?Â
It is thanks to Hardik Pandya’s brilliance that India recovered from 71/3 in 10 overs to 175/6 in 20 overs. It is a competitive score but not a winning score by any means. Dew is setting in and it will be hard work for the Indian bowlers under dew conditions. So, considering all that we feel it is advantage South Africa. But we may have a thriller.
We are in for an interesting run chase from here.
Also Read:Â IND VS SA: India & South Africa Set For Epic Face-Off With T20 WC In Horizon