SA vs IND, 2nd T20I: Rinku Singh masterclass in vain as South Africa win rain-affected game in Gqeberha

Rinku Singh’s fantastic 68 not out went in vain as Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram’s blazing knocks helped South Africa win by five wickets in the second T20I via DLS method.

This was incidentally India’s sixth straight loss to South Africa in all formats of the game as they lost the last two Tests and the ODI series 3-0 during the last tour.

The Indian team was put into bat by Aiden Markam, who had won the toss on the day in Gqeberha. The decision seemed like a masterstroke at the start as Yasahvi Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck in the third ball of the innings.

Shubman Gill, who had replaced Ruturaj Gaikwad in the lineup after the opener was ruled out due to illness, also was dismissed for a duck off the second ball. This was the first time in seven years that Indian openers were both dismissed for ducks.

Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma would counterattack the Proteas bowlers with an exciting partnership of 49 runs. Tilak’s exciting 29 would come to an end as Gerald Coetzee dismissed him to bring Rinku to the crease.

The southpaw started with a boundary but found things a bit tough at the beginning as Tabraiz Shamsi applied the squeeze with his spin bowling. Suryakumar would continue on his merry ways, after becoming the joint-fastest Indian batter to reach 2000 runs.

The Indian skipper reached his fifty in blistering fashion as Rinku also started to break free at the other end. The southpaw had a small scare when he was first adjudged to be trapped in front of the stumps off Markram’s bowling before the decision was reversed with a smart review.

The 25-year-old would get into his groove finally with a few boundaries and made up for lost time. However, Shamsi broke the partnership between both men by getting the wicket of Suryakumar, putting the onus on Rinku for a big finish.

Jitesh Sharma failed to deliver on his debut in South Africa and Ravindra Jadeja provided support to Rinku. The southpaw would attack the penultimate over from Markram for consecutive sixes off the final two deliveries.

The final over was filled with drama as Coetzee got rid of Jadeja and Arshdeep Singh off consecutive deliveries before rain intervened. The Indian innings would come to an end and the match was revised to a 15-over per side match. Rinku was left stranded on 68 not out off 39 balls.

South Africa was set a target of 152 from 15 overs and they got off to a flyer thanks to Reeza Hendricks and Matthew Breetzke. Hendricks, in particular, was severe on Arshdeep as he hit the Indian pacer for 20 runs off his first over.

South Africa scored 41 off just 2.4 overs before Breetzke’s stay was cut short due to a big mix up. Captain Markram joined in on the act as both men continued to pile on the runs and brought down the required run-rate.

The Indian bowlers struggled to control the ball because of the dew on the field and this allowed the duo to capitalise and reduce the required run-rate.

Markram and Hendricks got a 50-run partnership before Mukesh Kumar sent the Proteas skipper back to the pavilion. Heinrich Klaasen joined Hendricks in the middle and hit Kuldeep for a six off his second ball as the equation became 45 off 39 balls.

However, there seemed to be a twist in the tale as Hendricks fell for 49 as Kuldeep struck to keep India in the hunt. Klaasen was the next to fall as Siraj returned to get him for just seven.

The Indian pacer applied some pressure on Stubbs but a delivery from him went for four byes before the Proteas batter played a beautiful shot to finish off the over in fine fashion.

Siraj’s final overs started off poorly but he was able to pull things together as 24 runs were needed off the final three overs. Miller felt he had things well under contrlol with a six off Mukesh’s over but fell in the next delivery as the game kept swinging like a pendulum.

South Africa needed just 12 off the last two overs, and they got home in the end with seven deliveries to spare as Jadeja conceded a boundary and a six.

India will now look to level the series on December 14.