South Africa scripted a thrilling comeback in the second T20I against India at St George’s Park, overcoming a precarious 66 for 6 to chase down a modest target of 125 with an over to spare. The win, anchored by a composed 47* from Tristan Stubbs and an explosive 19 off 9 balls from Gerald Coetzee, leveled the series at 1-1 after India’s dominant performance in the first match.
Varun Chakravarthy’s Five-Fer in Vain
India’s Varun Chakravarthy was the standout performer, taking a career-best 5 for 17 to put South Africa on the ropes. His leg-spin proved too much for South Africa’s top and middle order, as he removed the likes of Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, and David Miller in quick succession. The highlight of his spell was the stunning dismissal of Miller, who was bowled out in the final over of Varun’s spell, leaving the Proteas in a perilous position.
However, despite Varun’s brilliance, South Africa’s tail fought back in remarkable fashion. After the fall of the sixth wicket, the equation stood at 40 runs needed from the final five overs. Coetzee, who had impressed with the bat in the first T20I, again stepped up, combining with Stubbs to put on a match-winning stand of 42 runs from just 20 balls.
Stubbs and Coetzee Seal the Win
Stubbs, in particular, continued his fine form, showing the maturity of a seasoned player rather than a youngster in only his second year in international cricket. He held his nerve in the chase, striking key boundaries to keep the required run-rate in check. Coetzee provided the fireworks, hammering a pair of boundaries off Avesh Khan to reduce the target to a manageable 17 runs from 16 balls.
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South Africa’s chase came to an end with an over to spare as the duo completed the rescue mission, ensuring India’s streak of 11 consecutive T20I wins was brought to a halt.
South Africa’s Impressive Bowling Effort
Earlier in the day, South Africa’s bowlers had set the tone, limiting India to just 124 for 6. The Proteas seamers, led by Marco Jansen, found early breakthroughs with Jansen dismissing Sanju Samson off the third ball of the innings. Andile Simelane, playing his second T20I, struck on his first appearance with a quick yorker to remove Suryakumar Yadav and Coetzee added to the pressure by dismissing Abhishek Sharma for 5.
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The Indian innings, which at one point saw them slump to 45 for 4, was steadied by Hardik Pandya. However, despite his late surge, scoring 19 off his final 5 balls, the total was always likely to be insufficient on a pitch offering help to the bowlers.
Looking Ahead
South Africa’s win in Gqeberha will provide a much-needed confidence boost, especially as they face a crucial decider in the final T20I of the series. For India, the challenge will be to regroup after failing to defend a small total despite excellent individual performances.
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