Batting first, India lost both their openers without scoring. Yashasvi Jaiswal cut a delivery from Marco Jansen straight to backward point. Shubman Gill was then trapped lbw by Lizaad Williams. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (56 off 36) and Tilak Varma (29 off 20) lifted India, adding 49 for the third wicket. Just when Varma was looking good for a big score, the left-hander lofted a catch off Gerald Coetzee to deep third man.
Suryakumar then found another able ally in Rinku Singh (68 not out off 39), who carried on his spectacular form with the bat. The duo added 70 for the fourth wicket in quick time. Suryakumar struck five fours and three sixes before hitting Tabraiz Shamsi (1/18) to long-off.
Jitesh Sharma (1) perished cheaply, but Rinku provided the big hits at the death, clubbing nine fours and two sixes in his innings, one of his maximums cracking the glass of the commentary box. Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with 19 off 14 balls.
In the DLS-revised chase, South Africa’s openers got off to a cracking start, reaching 42 in 2.4 overs. On the next delivery, though, Matthew Breetzke (16 off 7) had to walk back to the pavilion, having been run out following a disastrous mix up with Reeza Hendricks.
Hendricks (49 off 27) and Aiden Markram (30 off 17), however added 54 for the second wicket at blistering pace to put South Africa in command. The partnership ended when Markram was caught at deep square leg off Mukesh Kumar’s bowling. Hendricks missed out on a half-century, chipping Kuldeep Yadav to cover.
David Miller perished to Mukesh after scoring a quickfire 17, but Tristan Stubbs (14 not out) and Andile Phehlukwayo (10 not out) took the Proteas past the finish line with seven balls to spare.
--By A Cricket Correspondent
