GQEBERHA, South Africa (AP) — Reeza Hendricks led the way with 49 runs off 27 balls as South Africa beat India by five wickets (DLS) in the second T20 international on Tuesday.
The Proteas scored 154-5 in 13.5 overs to chase down the revised target of 152 runs (by DLS method) with seven balls to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Rain had interrupted the game for an hour and India’s innings couldn’t be completed. The match was then reduced to 15 overs.
Pacer Gerald Coetzee picked 3-32 in 3.3 overs. India finished with 180-7 in 19.3 overs as Rinku Singh scored his first T20 half-century.
Chasing 10 per over from the start, Hendricks set a hectic pace and put on 41 off 17 balls with Matthew Breetzke (16) for the first wicket.
Despite the latter being run out after a mix-up, the hosts didn’t slow down. Hendricks and skipper Aiden Markram (30) added 54 off 30 balls in their partnership.
South Africa was 96-1 in 7.4 overs. Hendricks hit eight fours and a six, while Markram hit four fours and a six.
India took three quick wickets as South Africa crashed to 108-4 in the next eight deliveries. Markram was out caught off Mukesh Kumar, while Hendricks holed out off wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Heinrich Klaasen was out caught for seven runs.
David Miller scored 17 off 12 balls adding 31 runs with Tristan Stubbs (14) to get his side back into the game. Kumar got a second wicket close to the end, but India’s bowling struggled to finish the game as the Proteas coasted home.
Earlier, put into bat, India lost both openers Yashaswi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill for ducks.
From 6-2, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav put on 49 runs off 24 balls to rebuild the innings.
Varma, a surprise pick for India at number three ahead of Shreyas Iyer, scored 29 off 20 balls with four fours and a six.
Yadav continued his good form and notched up yet another half-century in this format. He scored 56 off 36 balls, including five fours and three sixes to regale the Indian fans at St. George’s Park.
He put on 70 runs off 48 balls with Rinku Singh, who proved to be the star for India yet again.
In his short international career, Singh has repeatedly played blinding knocks in the latter half of T20 innings. He did so again, scoring 68 not out off 39 balls, with nine fours and two sixes.
Singh guided the Indian innings after Yadav fell to Tabraiz Shamsi in the 14th over. He put on 38 off 24 balls with Ravindra Jadeja (19) for the sixth wicket, which helped India breach the 180-mark.
In doing so, he scored his first T20 half-century off 30 balls. Singh’s previous T20 best was 46 against Australia in Raipur prior to this series.
The first game in Durban was washed out. Johannesburg will host the third T20 on Thursday.