NEW DELHI: South Africa fought back in style, chasing down a modest target of 125 with three wickets to spare in the second T20I against India at St George’s Park, levelling the four-match series 1-1 on Sunday.
Despite a brilliant five-wicket haul from India’s Varun Chakravarthy, the Proteas, led by a powerful knock from Tristan Stubbs (47 not out), managed to chase down the target in 19 overs, sealing the win with 128/7.
India’s innings, which had started with promise, faltered under pressure.
After being sent in to bat first, India found themselves in early trouble, losing key wickets within the first few overs. Opener Sanju Samson was dismissed for a duck, and Abhishek Sharma (4) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) soon followed.
The scoreboard read a precarious 15/3 by the fourth over, leaving India struggling to recover.
Axar Patel (27) and Tilak Varma (20) provided brief stability, but regular wickets kept India from building any real momentum.
Hardik Pandya’s late surge (39 not out) offered some hope, but India could only muster 124/6 in their allotted 20 overs, a score far from sufficient in the face of a determined chase.
South Africa’s reply got off to a rocky start as they lost early wickets. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Ryan Rickelton (13), while Aiden Markram (3) and Reeza Hendricks (24) fell to Chakravarthy, who delivered a sensational performance, finishing with figures of 5/17.
However, Stubbs remained unflappable at the crease, striking key boundaries and keeping his side on track.
Despite a mid-innings wobble, South Africa stayed composed, with Gerald Coetzee (19*) providing valuable support as the Proteas reached the target with just three wickets in hand.
Chakravarthy’s heroic performance couldn’t save India, as South Africa levelled the series with a thrilling chase, leaving both teams with everything to play for in the remaining two games.