SA vs IND, 2nd T20I: Hendricks' 49 helps SA overpower India in Gqeberha

South Africa vs India, 2nd T20I:  Rinku Singh’s 68*, Reeza Hendricks’ 49 and Shamsi’s 1/18 are top performances. South Africa beat India by 5 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

South Africa beat India by 5 wickets (Photo: ©X/Twitter)

Brief Scores: India 180/7 (Rinku 68*, Suryakumar 56, Coetzee 3/32) lost to South Africa 154/5 (Reeza Hendricks 49, Markram 30, Mukesh 2/34) by 5 wickets. 

Player of the Match: Tabraiz Shamsi (1/18)

South Africa began the tour with a rather comfortable win over India by 5 wickets at St George’s Park thanks to an all-round performance from the team.

After a washout at Kingsmead, Durban, in the 1st T20I, hosts South Africa, led by Aiden Markram, took on India in yet another rain-hit game at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha. 

Both sides played sans some of their first choices, with the South Africa skipper asking Suryakumar Yadav to lead India to bat first, owing to the overhead conditions. From the last completed game against Australia, India benched Shreyas, Ishan Kishan, Gaikwad, and Bishnoi.

Talking points: India’s poor bowling

India bowlers took a beating on batting-friendly tracks in the last home T20I series against Australia, but the team emerged victorious.  India’s bowling show was again poor on a slow surface at Gqeberha; the bowlers weren’t quite on the mark and found wanting as they gave away 38 runs in the first 2 overs, which proved decisive.

Opting to field first proved to be a perfect decision as the Proteas struck twice in the first 2 overs to remove both the India openers, Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, for ducks each. Tilak Varma had a breezy stint at the crease as he played a good little cameo of 29 from 20 balls before Gerald Coetzee was removed.

India was reduced to 55/3 inside the powerplays when Rinku Singh joined his skipper Suryakumar at the crease. The latter played with his usual T20 flair, and Rinku caught up to his senior partner after a scratchy start. Their partnership of 70 for the 4th wicket propelled India to a respectable total after having a horror start. Then Rinku capitalized on the start he got by notching up his maiden T20I half-century and then, with his usual final overs blitz, took India to 180/7. 

Rain forced SA’s chase to shortened to 15 overs, with the target revised to be 152. The Proteas were off to a blistering start as the openers Reeza Hendricks and newcomer Breetzke added 43 runs in the first 3 overs. Markram joined the act as he and Reeza added 54 for the 2nd wicket in just 30 balls. This stand put the curtains down on India as, despite losing a couple of wickets, South Africa managed to pull up an easy win with more than an over to spare.

Read More: IND vs AUS, 5th T20I: Excellent death bowling by Arshdeep, Mukesh reaps 4-1 scoreline for India

Top 3 performances from the game between South Africa and India, 2nd T20I

Rinku Singh scored 68 off 39 balls against SA (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

Rinku Singh proves he belongs to this level 

Rinku Singh has been a shining star for India in the middle order since his debut. After a good in-the-home T20I series against Australia, Rinku proved his worth again in altogether different conditions and when the team was in quite a bit of trouble.

When he arrived, India had just lost Tilak, and Rinku couldn’t get a move on initially. Spinners troubled him, but the left-hander was at his element once he got his eye. He brought up his first international half-century in just 30 balls in a knock that included 9 boundaries and 2 sixes. His unbeaten 68* was instrumental in taking India past the 180-run mark.

Read More: India tour of South Africa 2023-24: Quest for Historic Test Series Win in SA

Reeza Hendricks scored 49 against India (Photo: ©Twitter)

Reeza Hendricks sparkles at the top for South Africa

Unlike their Indian counterparts, South Africa had a brilliant start to their batting essay, and the batter responsible was their opener, Reeza Hendricks. He was instrumental in providing much-needed impetus to the chase as South Africa, in the first 5 overs, accumulated 67 runs. He was involved in 2 counter-attacking stands, one with Breetzke and the next with skipper Markram. His stroke-filled 49 off just 27 paved the way for the hosts to canter through the target. 

Tabraiz Shamsi keeps things in check for South Africa

South Africa pacers had gone for runs post the initial breakthrough in the powerplays, and it was up to the spinners to give some control back to the Proteas, and Shamsi did just that. With dangerous players such as the free-flowing Suryakumar Yadav and in-form Rinku Singh at the crease, the wrist spinner didn’t give much away. Astonishing, he bowled the 18th over and gave away only 3 runs.  

He went for a misery of 18 runs in his quota on a surface where others took some pounding, and Shamsi also picked the important scalp of Suryakumar Yadav. 

Statistical highlights from India vs South Africa 2nd T20I

• Suryakumar Yadav raced past the 2000 run mark in T20I cricket in just 56 innings, making him the joint fastest Indian player to reach the milestone alongside Virat Kohli.

• Suryakumar Yadav has the highest fifty-plus scores (4) in T20IS against South Africa.

• Surya and Rinku Singh piled up the highest fourth wicket partnership (70) for India against South Africa in T20Is

• Surya has the highest strike rate (177.37) against SA in T20Is (minimum 200 runs)

What to come and points table

South Africa have a 1-0 lead following this win and will aim to clinch a series win over the No.1 ranked T20I team, India when they face off in 2 days in the final T20I game at Johannesburg.  

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