South Africa came storming back into the T20I series after beating India by six wickets in the second match at Centurion.
Virat Kohli‘s men had no answer to Heirich Klaasen’s brute power as the JP Duminy‘s men made a mockery of India’s score of 188-4, winning with comfortable ease in the end.
Here, we look at the key talking points from Wednesday’s high-octane action.
INDIA’S ACTION-LADEN POWER-PLAY
It was a power-play that had everything, be it seam, swing, boundaries, wickets or maidens. First up, Junior Dala removed Rohit Sharma with a peach of an in-swinger on his very first delivery. He would then remove the in-form Virat Kohli with another snorter of a delivery which took the right-hander’s outside edge on the way to the wicket-keeper.
In between all of this, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina smashed a few to the fence before the former holed out to mid-on off the gentlest of full-tosses by JP Duminy. In the end, despite batting out two maiden overs, India ended up with 45 runs on the board in the power-play.
It is first time in T20Is that India have batted two maiden overs in the Powerplay. #RSAvInd
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) February 21, 2018
INDIA’S NEW GUNG-HO T20 APPROACH
India’s approach in T20Is in recent times has mirrored their ODI game where they look to build a steady foundation through their top-order before launching an all-out attack at the death. In this series however, there has been a noticeable change in tactics from the Men in Blue with the side now adopting a new mantra of going after the bowling from ball one.
This attitude was on display in the first T20I at the Wanderers and continued in Centurion where the batsmen kept attacking despite the loss of early wickets.
India’s approach in T20 cricket seems to be shifting.
PANDEY REDEEMS HIMSELF WITH STYLISH FIFTY
At the Wanderers, Manish Pandey had struggled for timing in the death overs despite having been given the perfect set-up by India’s top order. He just couldn’t manage to find the boundary ropes as India ended up at least 20 runs short of what they should have really got.
On Wednesday, it was as if Pandey was making up for lost time as he registered a fine fifty laden with boundaries. He brought up his half-century off just 34 balls as he smashed some gigantic sixes.
Pandey had no trouble finding the boundary ropes this time around.
NO HIDING PLACE FOR CHAHAL AS KLAASEN INFLICTS A HIDING
Heinrich Klaasen was promoted up the order after displaying a fearless brand of cricket in his previous outings. That same gutso was out in full force as he threw his hands at almost every delivery. He cleared the boundary ropes at will as he inflicted punishment on every bowler he faced.
No bowler suffered as greatly at his hands than Yuzvendra Chahal who was taken to the cleaners as Klaasen smashed him for four sixes. Ultimately, the wicketkeeper-batsman raced away to a 30-ball 69 notching up his maiden T20I fifty. Chahal, who just couldn’t find an answer to Klaasen’s onslaught, went for 63 runs in his four overs, conceding a whopping seven sixes to finish with the worst-ever figures for an Indian in T20Is.
Heinrich Klaasen vs Yuzvendra Chahal: (All formats)
Runs – 110
Balls – 74
Dismissals – 1
S/R – 148.65
Fours – 6
Sixes – 8#SAvIND— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) February 21, 2018
