Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee steered South Africa to a thrilling three-wicket win against India, leveling the T20I series 1-1 in Gqeberha on Sunday.
In a low-scoring nail-biter at St George’s Park, South Africa faced a modest 125-run chase that appeared straightforward on paper but soon evolved into a high-stakes battle. With seasoned campaigners David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen falling short, it was the young guns who took on the challenge and kept South Africa’s hopes alive in the series.
South African openers Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks started aggressively in the powerplay before the game transformed into a topsy-turvy affair. The hosts reached 22/0 in 2.4 overs—a stark contrast to India’s slow start—until Arshdeep Singh claimed the first breakthrough with a slower delivery that made Rickelton mistime his shot, caught by Rinku Singh.
Varun Chakaravarthy ended skipper Aiden Markram’s frustrating innings in the final over of the powerplay, bowling him for 3 off 8 balls. Chakaravarthy continued his spell with remarkable skill, dismissing Reeza Hendricks for 23 and later claiming Marco Jansen (7), Heinrich Klaasen (2), and David Miller (0), finishing with an impressive 5/17.
The game slipped further from South Africa’s reach when Ravi Bishnoi bowled Andile Simelane, leaving the hosts struggling at 88/7. The South African camp fell silent, preparing for a 2-0 series deficit. However, with four overs remaining and 37 runs needed, Coetzee and Stubbs stepped up to finish the chase.
Coetzee initiated a thrilling comeback, launching a 103m six that set the stage for an intense finish. The crowd was electrified as the pair attacked every ball. In the 18th over, Avesh Khan conceded 12 runs, bringing South Africa closer to victory. With just 13 runs needed in the last two overs, Stubbs quickly wrapped up the match by hitting Arshdeep for consecutive boundaries, securing the win with an over to spare.
Stubbs finished unbeaten on 47 off 41 balls, while Coetzee contributed a quick 19 off 9 balls.
Earlier, after South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl, India had a poor start. The pace duo of Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee quickly dismissed openers Sanju Samson (0) and Abhishek Sharma (5). Following back-to-back centuries in his previous T20Is, Samson encountered a low in his performance.
India was reeling at 5/2 in 1.5 overs, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav, continuing an inconsistent year, was trapped leg-before by Andile Simelane for just 4. India was struggling at 15/3 in four overs.
Tilak Varma and Axar Patel stabilized the innings, taking India to 34/3 by the end of the powerplay. However, their 30-run partnership ended when Tilak was caught by David Miller off Aiden Markram’s bowling, departing for 20. India’s score was 45/4 in eight overs.
Axar and Hardik Pandya looked to rebuild, but a mix-up resulted in Axar being run out for 27, leaving India at 70/5 in 11.5 overs. After 15 overs, India stood at 86/5, with Hardik and Rinku Singh at the crease. Rinku contributed nine runs before being dismissed by Nqabayomzi Peter, with a catch by Coetzee. India reached 100 in the 17th over.
In the 18th over, Hardik hit two fours and a six off Jansen, pushing India to 115/6. However, Coetzee’s tight penultimate over allowed India only three runs. India finished at 124/6, with Hardik unbeaten on 39 from 44 balls and Arshdeep Singh adding 7*.
South Africa’s bowlers applied consistent pressure, with Coetzee and Jansen taking 1/25 each, and Markram, Peter, and Simelane claiming a wicket apiece.
Brief Score: India 124/6 (Hardik Pandya 39*, Axar Patel 27; Andile Simelane 1-20) vs South Africa 128/7 (Tristan Stubbs 47*, Gerald Coetzee 19*; Varun Chakaravarthy 5-17).
(ANI)