South Africa vs India 2023

'Aur bhai aa gaya swad' - Fans react as South Africa beat India by 5 wickets in rain interrupted 2nd T20I

In the second T20I match of the ongoing three-match series, South Africa beat India by five wickets at St George's Park, Gqeberha. Rinku Singh's heroics went in vain.

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Mathew K
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SA beat Ind by 5 wickets

SA beat Ind by 5 wickets (Source: Twitter)

In the second T20I match of the ongoing three-match series, South Africa beat India by five wickets at St George's Park, Gqeberha. After scoring a competitive total of 180/7 in 19.3 overs, India failed to put up a display with the bowl as the hosts comfortably chased the target.

Earlier in the game, India had a poor start as both openers departed without scoring a single run. Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed by Marco Jansen for a three-ball duck. While Shubman Gill fell victim to Lizaad Williams for a two-ball duck, leaving India at 2 down for 6 runs. However, the middle order showed resilience. Tilak Varma played a vital knock of 29 runs from 20 balls, setting the stage for captain Suryakumar Yadav's aggressive innings. Yadav's leadership was reflected in his dynamic knock of 56 runs at a strike rate of 155.56.

The highlight of India's innings was Rinku Singh's explosive finish. His unbeaten innings of 68 runs from just 39 balls included two towering sixes, one of which shattered the glass of the media box. Jitesh Sharma contributed a quick 13 runs, and Ravindra Jadeja added a crucial 19 runs with a strike rate of 135.71.

Despite early setbacks, India posted a competitive total of 180/7 in 19.3 overs, showcasing the team's depth and batting prowess. Gerald Coetzee emerged as the most successful bowler for South Africa, claiming three crucial wickets. Apart from him, Jansen, Williams, Tabrez Shamsi, and skipper Aiden Markram took wickets each.

Indian bowlers failed to control the run flow

As rain interrupted the game during the innings break, South Africa got a revised target to chase 152 runs in just 15 overs. Chasing a daunting target, the hosts got off to a flying start as openers Reeza Hendricks and Matthew Breetzke added 42 runs for the first wicket in just 17 balls. Breetzke in his inning scored 16 runs off seven balls, while Hendricks in his inning scored 49 runs off 27 balls with the help of eight fours and a six.

Skipper Aiden Markram also scored a fiery 30-run knock and set the stage for a thrilling run chase. However, India applied breaks to the flying Proteas innings as they took three wickets within eight balls. In the end, South Africa won the game by 5 wickets, as they had a cousin of runs from the top order. With this win, South Africa took a 1-0 lead in a two-match series, with the third match taking place on December 14.

Here is how fans react to South Africa's victory: 

India Aiden Markram Rinku Singh India vs South Africa