In the second Twenty20 International match played on Tuesday, December 12 at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, South Africa defeated India by five wickets. Rain stopped play after India was put in to bat first and managed to reach 180/7 in 19.3 overs. Gerald Coetzee was the best bowler for South Africa with statistics of 3/32 in 3.3 overs, but Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh hit outstanding half-centuries for India. South Africa won the game by five wickets after successfully chasing down the revised 152 target in 13.5 overs.
The following are some talking points from the game:
1. Suryakumar Yadav carries on his incredible run
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav achieved his 17th half-century in the Twenty20 Internationals, continuing his incredible run. He amassed a spectacular 56 off 36 balls, hitting three sixes and five fours during his innings. Together with Virat Kohli, the 33-year-old became the third-fastest batter to reach 2000 runs in Twenty20 Internationals (56 innings).
2. Rinku Singh’s first-ever T20I fifty
Rinku Singh achieved his first international half-century, advancing his career-long ascent in international cricket. With nine fours and two sixes hammered, the southpaw put up an amazing 68* (39) innings. One of his rounds even cracked the press box’s glass at the location.
3. The fireworks of Reeza Hendricks prepare South Africa for the run chase
With an inning high of 49 off 27 balls, eight fours, and a six, the South African opener gave his team an incredible start. To make it easier for the remaining batters to chase down the runs, he and Matthew Breetzke had a 42-run partnership for the first wicket off just 17 balls. Later, they scored 54 runs for the second wicket.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, who lost, stated:
At the halfway stage, I thought it was a par score but they batted beautifully in the first 5-6 overs and took the game away from us. It was the brand of cricket we were talking about, just go out and express ourselves. It was tough with the wet ball, but we would face similar situations in the future and it’s a good learning for us. Looking forward to the third T20I.
Aiden Markram, the winning captain for South Africa, stated:
A bit bleak about Durban, it was disappointing. Great crowd in today and it’s nice to put in a performance in front of them. It was on the slower side. But after the rain came in, it quickened up. Sometimes you try too much in T20 cricket, if a match up works you go with him. But, you don’t want to keep him for too long as the batter lines him up.
(On Reeza Hendricks) He has been fantastic, super happy for him, he has adopted a bit of leadership role with the batting. Another brilliant knock from him tonight. You gotta pick form players going into the world cup. There might still be a couple of places up for grabs. Every player is working hard and giving his best. The healthy competition means a lot for us.
Tabraiz Shamsi (1/18, 4 overs), the player of the match, stated:
On his shoe-phone celebration) I packed that celebration away, but the kids keep asking me to bring it about, so can’t disappoint them. To be able to deliver under pressure against India was pleasing. (On SKY) He is a wonderful player and he has shown that again today. Aiden was brilliant with his changes. Since Rob has come in, he has created a brilliant environment in the team. He pushes hard in the field but also allows us to enjoy with our families. The results are there to show on the field.
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