Talking points from India vs South Africa 2nd T20I in Guwahati
Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati turned out to be another batting paradise as 458 runs were scored on Sunday (October 2). David Miller's stunning unbeaten ton went in vain as India clinched the 3-match series with a 16-run win against South Africa in the 2nd T20I.
Suryakumar Yadav (61 off 22 balls) and KL Rahul (57 off 28 balls) were in top form as India scored a massive 237 for 3, their highest score against South Africa, in 20 overs. Virat Kohli also made an unbeaten 49 as Protea bowlers were hit all-around the ground.
In reply, South Africa, after losing two quick wickets, made a strong comeback but the required run rate was just too much to keep up with. SA finished on 221-3 after a brilliant 174-run unbeaten stand between Miller and Quinton De Kock (69).
Just six wickets fell during the match. India had defeated South Africa by eight wickets in the first game of the series in Thiruvananthapuram on September 28.
We take a look at the 6 talking points from the Guwahati T20I:
Rohit-Rahul give India a flying start: India couldn't have asked for a better start. After being asked to bat first, captain Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul made a solid start and once they got set, runs started coming freely. The openers added 57 runs in the PowerPlay and had a 96-run stand to set the tone of the match.
While Rahul was in vintage form scoring 57 off 28 balls with five 4s and four 6s, Rohit made 43 off 27 balls with seven boundaries and a six. Rahul was adjudged player of the match for his knock.
SKY, Kohli take India past 200: Suryakumar Yadav's T20I form is getting better with every game. He is now the fastest to 1,000 T20I runs in just 573 deliveries. As Yadav scored his third consecutive fifty, Kohli, on the other end, looked solid.
Yadav smashed 61 off 22 balls with five 4s and five 6s and had a crucial 102-run stand with Kohli, who made 49 not out off 28 balls with seven boundaries and a six. Kohli also became the first Indian batter to score 11,000 T20 runs.
SA pacers thrashed all over the park: With over 450 runs scored and just six players dismissed, the Guwahati wicket was a nightmare for bowlers. But the South African pacers in particular looked completely ineffective as Rahul and Yadav toyed with them.
The strategy to bowl full to Indian batters backfired for the Proteas as they didn't get any help from the wicket. Kagiso Rabada (0 for 57 in 4 overs), Wayne Parnell (0 for 54 in 4 overs), Lungi Ngidi (0 for 49 in 4 overs) and Anrich Nortje (0 for 41 in 3 overs) made no impact at all.
Arshdeep Singh rocks SA top order: Even though Arshdeep Singh gave away most number of runs in the game (62 runs in 4 overs), his two early wickets put too much pressure on the South African batting, and while securing their wickets, the middle order struggled to keep up with the required run rate. SA captain Temba Bavuma and Rilee Rossouw were both dismissed for ducks.
Miller's sensational ton: David Miller on Sunday showed why is one of the best T20 batters. His 46-ball unbeaten 106 made sure the Proteas were never out of the game completely. This was Miller's 2nd T20I century, and he hit eight boundaries and seven 6s during his ton. He had a 174-run unbeaten stand with Quinton De Kock off just 90 balls.
Miller also became the leading run-scorer for South Africa in the T20I format. He now has 2,050 runs in 106 T20 internationals. Miller reached his fifty in 25 balls and the next 56 runs in just 21 balls.
Snake in the field: Another major talking point from the 2nd T20I other than the cricketing performances was the moment when a snake was seen on the ground. During India's innings, a snake came out of nowhere from a small unnoticed pit at the extra cover region.
The groundsmen then came and captured it in a bucket. The stadium also went into partial darkness during South Africa's batting due to a floodlight failure, causing a second interruption in the match, reported PTI.