Miller ton in vain as India claim 1st T20I home series against South Africa with 16-run win
On the eve of the match, social media was rife with people requesting all to pray to Goddess Durga for a rain free Sunday. There was clear weather but no one could have ever imagined that there would be a floodlights malfunction, or a snake sneaking into the ground!
Eventually those two incidents proved to be only the pitstops as India cantered to a 16-run win to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. This was also India's first T20 International series victory against South Africa at home.
There was no stopping the Indian batters on a placid Barsapara Cricket Stadium. South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma had asked his India counterpart Rohit Sharma to bat first after winning the toss but some toothless bowling and the smaller boundaries didn't help the Proteas' cause as India reached a daunting 237/3, with 178 being scored in boundaries (25 fours, 13 sixes).
Chasing a massive 238, South Africa got two early jolts, losing their captain Temba Bavuma and Rilee Rossouw with only one run on the board.
1/10:India beat South Africa to clinch T20I series
AP
2/10:Unassailable 2-0 lead
<p>David Miller and Quinton de Kock's unbeaten 174-run stand went in vain as India beat South Africa by 16 runs in Guwahati on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.</p>AP
3/10:First home T20I series win vs SA
<p>Chasing 237, South Africa fell short as India's imperious batting performance helped them clinch victory for their first home T20I series win over the Proteas.</p>AFP
4/10:Suryakumar Yadav
<p>India were put in to bat and smashed over 150 runs in boundaries to reach a commanding 237-3, thanks to Suryakumar Yadav's blazing 22-ball 61.</p>AFP
5/10:KL Rahul
<p>Opener KL Rahul had got off the blocks in a flash to make 57 from 28.</p>AFP
6/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Keshav Maharaj ended the 96-run opening stand, dismissing skipper Rohit Sharma (43) before trapping Rahul leg before wicket to finish with 2-23.</p>AFP
7/10:Sparkling form
<p>Yadav joined Virat Kohli on the crease and continued his sparkling form to bring up a half -century in only 18 balls.</p>PTI
8/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Kohli finished unbeaten on a 28-ball 49 and Dinesh Karthik smacked 17 in his seven-ball cameo as India reached their fourth-highest total in T20s. </p>PTI
9/10:David Miller
<p>Miller struck 106 off 47 balls and his unbeaten stand for the fourth wicket with De Kock threatened to take the game away from India.</p>AP
10/10:Arshdeep Singh
<p>South Africa were reeling at 5-2 at the end of the second over after Temba Bavuma and Rilee Rossouw fell for ducks to Arshdeep Singh.</p>ANIIn the end it did prove to be costly as wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock (69 not out off 48 balls) and D avid Miller (a spectacular, unbeaten 106 off 47) put together an unbeaten, 174-run stand to take SA very close to the target.
India won comfortably but their death bowling remains a concern in Jasprit Bumrah's absence. All the bowlers except Deepak Chahar were taken to the cleaners. Arshdeep Singh was the costliest with 62 runs from four overs even after bowling an excellent first over, taking two wickets for just five runs.
India's hero of the day was man-in-form Suryakumar Yadav, who again did justice to his growing reputation by scoring 61 off 22 balls, while vice-captain KL Rahul hit a fluid 57 off 28 balls. Virat Kohli remained stranded just a run short of his fifty as India's designated finisher Dinesh Karthik took the stage in last couple of overs, hitting two sixes and a four.
Rohit Sharma (43 off 37 balls), playing his 400th T20 match, started the match by hitting one to the fence in the very first delivery bowled by Kagiso Rabada, but it was his deputy and opening partner KL Rahul who took the fast lane from the word go. He was the aggressor as Rohit built his innings before falling in the penultimate ball of the 10th over with 96 runs on board.
Rahul raced to a consecutive half-century off just 24 balls, hitting Aiden Markram over long on onto the second tier. The visitors were to be blamed for some wayward bowling, but even so, Suryakumar showcased his '360-degree' prowess, hitting shots all around the ground.
Barring SA vice-captain Kehsav Maharaj, who returned with figures of 2-23 from his quota of four overs, no other South Africa bowlers could contain the India batters, with Rabada being the most expensive, giving away 57 runs from his four overs.
