Quinton de Kock put on a show for the ages as he scored a swashbucking 90 off 46 balls to give South Africa strong platform. Quinton de Kock looked in full flow and was determined to put on a show and he did that. He got help from other players especially from the finishers Donovan Ferreira and David Miller to post a massive 213/4 in 20 overs. For India only Varun Chakaravarthy bowled well and finished with 2/29 in 4 overs. The others went for plenty in tough conditions.
Quinton de Kock gives South Africa a fiery start despite losing Reeza Hendricks.Â
Put into bat first, Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks came out to bat for South Africa while Arshdeep Singh had ball in hand for India. Quinton wasted no time as he picked up the length and smashed it over deep square leg for the maximum. Jasprit Bumrah had ball in hand from the other end. He bowled an excellent first over. Arshdeep continued as de Kock took him on by whacking it away over midwicket for a boundary and then smashed it over deep midwicket for the maximum.
Bumrah continued as Hendricks picked it up and pulled it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Quinton was not to be left behind by clearing his front leg and swivelled it away over deep square leg for the maximum. Varun Chakaravarthy came into the attack next and got India the breakthrough by cleaning Hendricks up for 8 off 10 balls with one six to his name. Captain Aiden Markram came out to bat next. Varun ended a successful over.
Axar Patel came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Markram slashed it away by rocking back and punching it through the covers for a boundary. Quinton then took on Axar by rocking back and pumped it over deep backward square leg for the maximum. The 50 came up for South Africa in 5.5 overs. 12 came off Axar Patel’s first over as South Africa reached 53/1 in 6 overs at the end of the powerplay with Quinton de Kock on 34* off 18 balls and captain Aiden Markram on 7* off 8 balls.
Quinton de Kock drives South Africa to a dominant position despite losing Aiden Markram.Â
Hardik Pandya came into the attack post the powerplay. Quinton crashed it away as he prod forward and carved it through the covers for a boundary. Varun changed ends as Quinton helped it on its way to deep fine leg for a boundary. Hardik continued as Quinton prod forward and whipped it away to the diving long-on fielder for a boundary to bring up his 17th T20I fifty.
Axar Patel came back into the attack as Quinton welcomed him back by using his feet and muscling it over long-on for the maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. South Africa reached 90/1 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game when we paused for the Drinks Break. Arshdeep continued after the break as Quinton welcomed him back by swinging down the ground for the maximum over long-off. Then started a flurry of wides from Arshdeep as the 100 came up in 10.2 overs and he bowled 7 wides and a 13-ball over which went for 18 runs.
Varun returned to the attack as Markram took him on by clearing his front leg and smoked it straight down the ground into the sight screen for the maximum. Markram took him on and swung to the leg side as he hit it over wide long-on for the maximum. Varun came back and struck for his side removing Markram for 29 off 26 balls with one four and two sixes to his name. The batter miscued it to Axar Patel at deep midwicket who made no mistake. Dewald Brevis came out to bat next.
Shivam Dube came into the attack next. Brevis got himself going by standing and delivering as he crashed it hard over mid-off for a boundary. Hardik Pandya came back into the attack. Quinton de Kock cleared his front leg and slapped it through extra covers as the ball raced away to the fence. Quinton took Hardik on again as he launched it over deep backward square leg for the maximum. 17 runs came off the over.
Dube continued as Brevis took him on by launching towards Gill at wide long-off who jumped and got his hands on the ball and pulled the ball back in play. But his left foot touched the cushion before he made contract with the ball and so a six was signalled. At the completion of 15 overs, South Africa were 156/2 with Quinton de Kock unbeaten on 90 off 45 balls and Brevis on 14* off 9 balls. South Africa looked good to get 210+ from here.
Quinton de Kock falls, but South Africa finish strong to finish with 213/4.Â
Varun Chakaravarthy came back into the attack as Quinton de Kock trying to steal an impossible run was run out for 90 off 46 balls with 5 fours and 7 sixes to his name. Donovan Ferreira came out to bat next. He got off the mark with a boundary as he got down on one knee and slog swept it between deep backward square leg and deep midwicket. Axar then removed Brevis for 14 off 10 balls with one four and one six to his name as Tilak Varma took a very good catch at long-on who dived forward and took it inches from the ground.
David Miller came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Axar bowled a quiet over. Jasprit Bumrah came back into the attack for his final burst as Miller drilled it hard down the ground past mid-on for a boundary. Bumrah gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side as a bonus. Miller then carved it away between deep point and covers for a boundary. Arshdeep Singh came to bowl the 19th over. Ferreira took on the hometown boy and smashed it over long-on for the maximum.
Arshdeep continued bowling wides. Miller then took him on as well as he swung across and cleared deep midwicket for the maximum. Bumrah came to bowl the final over of the innings. Ferreira smashed him down the ground over the bowler’s head straight as an arrow for the maximum. The 200 came up for South Africa in 19.2 overs. Ferreira went big again as he took on Bumrah and cleared it by pulling in front of square for the maximum. In the end, South Africa finished with 213/4 in 20 overs. Ferreira remained unbeaten on 30 off 16 balls with one four and three sixes to his name. While David Miller remained unbeaten on 20 off 12 balls with 2 fours and 1 six to his name. 22 extras including 16 wides given by India.
It was a hard day for Indian bowlers with Varun Chakaravarthy the star for India with 2/29 in 4 overs. Axar Patel finished with 1/27 in 3 overs. There was also one run out in the innings. Arshdeep Singh had a day to forget with figures of 0/54 in 4 overs. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 0/45 in 4 overs. Hardik Pandya gave away 34 runs in 3 overs. Shivam Dube bowled 2 overs for 18 runs. It means that India needs a mammoth 214 runs off 20 overs to take a 2-0 lead in 5-match series.
Who’s Winning, India or South Africa?Â
South Africa have put a massive score on the board on a batting deck with dew on the field in New Chandigarh. India has the batting to chase it down no doubt but will feel the pressure of chasing this down. South Africa have runs on the board and we feel they hold the advantage in the interval.
Can India make a match out of this? Only time will tell.
Also Read: IND vs SA: What’s Going Wrong for Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav?