CUTTACK: The last time India and South Africa played a T20I at the Barabati Stadium, Cuttack in 2015, it did not turn out to be a memorable outing for the hosts. They were bundled out for 92 even as the irate fans threw bottles into the outfield from the stands. As expected, they eventually went on to lose the match.
While a lot had changed for the Indian team as well as the stadium, which was renovated, since then, some things remained the same. For starters, on Sunday in the second T20I, the Indian top-order struggled on a surface where getting themselves going from ball one was hard.
The pacers had a fair bit of assistance as India batters struggled despite Ishan Kishan’s early onslaught (34 off 21). They lost wickets in clusters before Dinesh Karthik’s late flourish (30 not out from 21) took them to 148/6 in 20 overs. What also remained unchanged from 2015 is the outcome of the encounter as the hosts yet again lost to Proteas in the end.
The one other thing that hadn’t changed for India since 2015 was Bhuvneshwar Kumar providing early breakthroughs. He got rid of Reeza Hendricks with his trademark inswinger. In his next over, he dismissed Dwaine Pretorius to give the hosts some hope.
However, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma got some crucial boundaries, forcing his Indian counterpart Rishabh Pant to bring back Bhuvneshwar for a third over in the powerplay. And the pacer delivered, getting the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen. Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Bavuma for a 30-ball 35, but Heinrich Klaasen kept them in chase.
The wicketkeeper-batter launched a counterattack, taking every Indian bowler to the cleaners. He smashed 81 from 46 balls, with five sixes and seven fours, taking his side closer to the finish line. From there, South Africa got home comfortably, beating India by four wickets.
Earlier, having put into bat, India lost Ruturaj Gaikwad early as Kagiso Rabada became the second-fastest South African to take 50 T20I wickets. Kishan, however, took the attack to the tourists, hitting boundaries at will against the pacers. He eventually fell to a short-ball from Anrich Nortje. Pant and Hardik Pandya did not last long as the South African bowlers ran through the middle-order.
When Shreyas Iyer got out to Pretorius for 40 from 35, India were struggling at 98/5. Karthik, who came into bat at No 7, struggled a bit early on, before going big in the last two overs, taking India to a competitive total.
Brief scores: India 148/6 in 20 ovs (Shreyas 40, Nortje 2/36) lost to South Africa 149/6 in 18.2 ovs (Klaasen 81, Bavuma 35, Bhuvneshwar 4/13).