IND vs SA: Prasidh Krishna Foxes South Africa & Restricts Them To 270.

Prasidh Krishna bounced back from a tough start and picked up 4/66 as that helped India keep South Africa down to 270 inside 48 overs and getting bowled out. Prasidh Krishna showed character on the back of a poor game in Raipur and a tough start here as well. Kuldeep Yadav supported him well with 4 wickets as well as India had a good day with the ball.

For South Africa, Quinton de Kock made his 7th ton vs India and 23rd overall while others chipped in as they did decently to get to 270 all out inside 48 overs.

South Africa get off to a steady start despite losing Ryan Rickelton for a duck in powerplay. 

Put into bat first, Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton came out to open for South Africa while Arshdeep Singh had ball in hand for India. Arshdeep gave India the perfect start as he removed Rickelton for a 4-ball duck managing to catch the edge through to the keeper Rahul. Captain Temba Bavuma came out to bat next. Harshit Rana had ball in hand from the other end. He started with a maiden. Arshdeep continued and bowled another maiden.

Quinton broke the shackles as he got the outside edge that flew over the slips for a boundary. He got another edge off Rana that went left of second slip for a boundary. Arshdeep continued as Bavuma went inside out and lofted it over cover point for a boundary. Rana bowled another maiden. Arshdeep bowled another decent over. Rana bowled another probing over.

Prasidh Krishna came into the attack next as de Kock broke the shackles as he swivelled to pick up the length and thump it over deep square leg for the maximum. Rana continued to bowl the last over of powerplay as Bavuma completed 2000 runs for South Africa in ODIs. Bavuma picked it up and slogged it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. At the completion of the first powerplay, South Africa were 42/1 in 10 overs with Bavuma on 19* and Quinton on 21*.

Temba Bavuma fell but South Africa upped the ante in the middle overs. 

Prasidh Krishna continued after the powerplay as Quinton went inside out over extra cover for the maximum. Quinton went again as he pulled it over deep square leg for the maximum as the 50-run stand was up between the two players. Quinton hit another boundary by driving it through the covers and mid-off for a boundary. Ravindra Jadeja came into the attack next. Bavuma slogged Jadeja over midwicket for a boundary.

Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Jadeja bowled a decent over as well. Kuldeep continued as de Kock drilled it through midwicket for a boundary. Jadeja continued as Quinton swept it over deep backward square leg for the maximum as he reached his fifty in 42 balls. Drinks came on the field with South Africa at 86/1 in 16 overs.

Tilak Varma came into the attack next as de Kock greeted him with a boundary through midwicket region. Kuldeep continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja continued  as Bavuma broke the shackles by reverse sweeping it to the right of keeper for a boundary. The 100 came up for South Africa in 19 overs. The 100-run stand came up between the two players as well. South Africa were 104/1 in 20 overs. Jadeja continued as Bavuma picked up and slog swept over midwicket for a boundary.

Against the run of play, Jadeja got rid of Bavuma for 48 off 67 balls with 5 fours to his name as the outside edge carried to Virat Kohli at backward point who made no mistake. Matthew Breetzke came out to bat next. Quinton took the attack to Kuldeep by hitting a boundary to deep backward square leg and then launched him down the ground over wide long-on for the maximum. Jadeja bowled a decent over.

Tilak came back into the attack. Quinton threw his hands at it and got the outside edge past the keeper to the deep third man fence. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over. After 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, South Africa were 143/2 and in a good position.

India roared back with regular wickets courtesy Kuldeep Yadav even as Quinton de Kock completed his ton. 

Tilak continued as Breetzke welcomed him with a maximum over wide long-on straight down the ground. Breetzke went again and launched it over long-on for the maximum as the 150 came up for South Africa in 25.2 overs. Prasidh Krishna came back into the attack and bowled a quiet over. Harshit Rana came back into the attack as Quinton lapped the ball past short fine leg for a boundary.

Krishna then hit back and got rid of Breetzke for 24 off 23 balls with 2 sixes to his name as the batter was struck in front. The batter reviewed but the decision was upheld and the review was burnt. Aiden Markram came out to bat at 5. He got off the mark soon but fell for 1 off 3 balls as Krishna had two in the over with Virat Kohli taking another catch at short cover this time. Dewald Brevis came out to bat next.

Rana continued and de Kock’s moment in the sun came as he launched the bowler by pulling over deep square leg for the maximum as he got to his 7th ODI ton vs India and 23rd overall and got a standing ovation from everyone including Virat Kohli. Rana gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Brevis hit Rana for a boundary through deep third man as South Africa were 185/4 in 30 overs.

Krishna continued and bowled a decent over. Arshdeep Singh came back into the attack. Brevis hit the short ball powerfully over deep square leg for the maximum. South Africa were 196/4 in 32 overs. Krishna continued and got rid of the set batter Quinton de Kock for 106 off 89 balls with 8 fours and 6 sixes to his name as he knocked him over with a yorker length delivery. Marco Jansen came out to bat next while Drinks was being taken. Brevis hit Arshdeep for a boundary through the covers as the 200 came up for South Africa in 33.2 overs.

Krishna continued as Jansen punched the ball through extra cover for a boundary. Jansen hit another boundary by whipping it through long-on for a boundary. Arshdeep continued and bowled a decent over. Kuldeep returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. Arshdeep bowled another decent over. Kuldeep got the breakthrough as he removed Brevis for 29 off 29 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as he went for the big one with Rohit Sharma taking the catch at mid-on. Corbin Bosch came out to bat and got off the mark straightaway.

Kuldeep got two in the over as he removed Jansen for 17 off 15 balls with 2 fours to his name as he went for the big one and the ball was taken by Jadeja in the deep. Keshav Maharaj came out to bat next. Kuldeep overstepped while Maharaj got off the mark as well. Jadeja returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. At the completion of 40 overs, South Africa were 244/7 in 40 overs with Maharaj and Bosch both on 4 apiece.

Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna combine to bowl South Africa out for 270 in 47.5 overs. 

Kuldeep Yadav continued and bowled a miserly over. Jadeja bowled a decent over. Kuldeep then got rid of Bosch for 9 off 12 balls as the batter played it back to the bowler. Lungi Ngidi came out to bat next. Prasidh Krishna came back into the attack as Maharaj backed away and punched it to sweeper cover for a boundary. Kuldeep struck again as he removed Ngidi for 1 off 10 balls as he got him LBW. The batter reviewed in hope and burnt the review as well. Ottneil Baartman came out to bat next.

South Africa were 258/9 in 45 overs. Krishna bowled a decent over. Harshit Rana came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Krishna continued as Maharaj picked it up and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. Krishna hit back and got rid of Baartman 3 off 7 balls by cleaning him up. Maharaj remained unbeaten on 20 off 29 balls with 2 fours to his name as South Africa were bowled out for 270 in 47.5 overs. 12 extras given by the fielding side.

Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 4/41 in 10 overs. Prasidh Krishna helped him with figures of 4/66 in 9.5 overs. Arshdeep Singh finished with 1/36 in 8 overs. Ravindra Jadeja finished with 1/50 in 9 overs. Harshit Rana finished with 0/44 in 8 overs. Tilak Varma gave away 29 runs in 3 overs. That meant India needed 271 runs to win off 50 overs.

Who’s Winning, India or South Africa? 

India have done well to restrict South Africa to 270 because at one stage 300+ was on. Kuldeep Yadav bowled a magnificent spell while Quinton de Kock dazzled in Vizag. The pitch is slightly on the slower side and with dew taking less effect than the last two games, we expect a close contest. India maybe ahead but not by lot. South Africa will give a fight to India.

A thrilling chase awaits us all.

Also Read: IND vs SA: Aiden Markram’s Magical Ton Helps South Africa Level Series 1-1