In a gripping showdown at St George’s Park, South Africa asserted their dominance over India choosing to field first after winning the toss. South Africa made two changes in their lineup, Lizaad Williams and Beuran Hendricks returned to the playing 11. On the other hand, India gave a go for Rinku Singh in the 50-over format, following his stellar T20I performances. Batting first India made a below-par total of 211 which South Africa chased with ease in 42.3 overs securing a convincing 8-wicket victory.
Poor Display from the Indian Batters
South Africa’s decision to field first paid dividends as they restricted India to a total of 211 runs in 46.2 overs. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s early departure at 4-1 set the tone for South Africa. The SA bowlers were on the mark right from the start, particularly Nandre Burger who picked 3 wickets. Tilak Varma struggled during his stay and eventually fell for a short ball from Nandre Burger.
Sai Sudharsan carrying his form for the last game scored a fifty before falling for Lizaad Williams, and KL Rahul returning to the Indian team after the World Cup final impressed with a solid fifty but failed to make it big. South African bowlers kept taking wickets at regular intervals and kept a lid on the scoring rate. Some late contributions from the Indian bowlers Arshdeep and Avesh helped India cross the 200 mark and eventually bowled out for 211.
South Africa’s Tony De Zorzi scores a stunning ton
Chasing 212, the SA openers laid a solid foundation putting a 130-run stand for the wicket. The standout performance of the match was Tony de Zorzi’s splendid century, scoring 119 off 122 balls. His innings anchored the South African chase, complemented by Reeza Hendricks’ steady 52 off 81 balls. The duo’s partnership ensured a smooth sail to victory for the home side.
India looked sloppy in the field and missed several chances including a catch drop of Reeza Hendricks in the 5th over. Reeza stood tall at one end while de Zorzi played some exquisite shots and kept finding boundaries at regular intervals. Arshdeep broke the stand finally in the 28th over it was a bit too late as SA looked in cruise control of the chase.
Zorzi and Van der Dussen stitched a partnership of 76 helping South Africa reach the shore of the victory. India tried a few bowling options at the end with the likes of Tilak, Rinku, and Sudharsan rolling their arm for a few overs. And Fittingly Zorzi finished the chase with a six over deep mid-wicket.
The action now shifts to Paarl for the series decider on December 21. A few players from both teams will be looking to get a final hit before the test series which will start from 26 December.
Also Read: IND vs SA: South Africa Clinches Victory With Impressive Bowling Display