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In a remarkable display of cricketing prowess, India secured a resounding victory over South Africa by 135 runs, winning the T20I series 3-1. This marks India's fourth series triumph on South African soil.
The match witnessed stellar performances from Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh, who dismantled the South African batting lineup. India's innings was anchored by explosive batting from Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma, setting a formidable target of 284 for the hosts. In response, South Africa's top order crumbled under the relentless pressure applied by India's bowlers, with Arshdeep Singh leading the charge. Arshdeep wreaked havoc early on, claiming three crucial wickets. He dismissed Reeza Hendricks for a six-ball duck, setting the tone for the innings. Ryan Rickelton was the next to fall, managing just a single run before Hardik Pandya took his wicket. South African skipper Aiden Markram followed next, bowled by Arshdeep for 8. Heinrich Klaasen was dismissed for a first-ball duck, leaving South Africa reeling at 10/4 within three overs. A brief resistance came from Tristan Stubbs and David Miller, who attempted to stabilize the innings. However, Varun Chakravarthy broke the partnership by dismissing Miller for 36. Stubbs soon fell to leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi after scoring a well-made 43 off 29 balls, which included 3 sixes and 2 sixes. Andile Simelane was dismissed for 2 runs by Chakravarthy. Gerald Coetzee was stumped by Sanju Samson off Axar Patel's bowling for 12. Patel struck again in his next over, dismissing Keshav Maharaj for 6. Ramandeep Singh claimed his first international wicket, removing Lutho Sipamla for 3. South Africa was eventually bowled out for 148 in 18.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler, taking three wickets and inching closer to becoming the joint-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is. Varun Chakravarthy contributed with two wickets for 42 runs in his four overs. Hardik Pandya, Ramandeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, and Axar Patel each chipped in with a wicket, showcasing a comprehensive team effort. India's dominant performance not only secured the match but also the series, highlighting their cricketing excellence and resilience on South African soil. This was India's 18th win against South Africa in 31 T20Is, the most by a team going past 17 wins by Australia in 25 games Earlier in the first innings, India batter Tilak Varma achieved a historic feat during the fourth and final match against South Africa in Johannesburg. The 22-year-old Tilak Varma became the second Indian to hit centuries in consecutive innings in T20Is. The youngster played an unbeaten 107-run knock in the previous third match of the series against South Africa. Tilak joined the illustrious club alongside Sanju Samson. In the fourth T20I match of the series on Friday, Tilak scored 120 runs from 47 balls at a strike rate of 255.32. He slammed 9 fours and 10 sixes during his time on the crease. Earlier, the India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was the first Indian to hit hundreds in consecutive innings in T20Is. His first ton came against Bangladesh in the third T20I match and the second one came against the Proteas in the first game of the series, which helped him achieve the landmark. On Friday, after winning the toss, India's stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav opted to bat first. The decision proved fruitful as the team delivered an exceptional performance. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened for India, forging a solid 73-run partnership. Abhishek displayed an impressive knock, hitting 2 fours and 4 sixes, but his innings ended in the sixth over when Lutho Sipamla dismissed him. However, the Proteas couldn't capitalise on the breakthrough as Samson continued to dominate, now paired with Tilak Varma. The duo unleashed a relentless assault on the South African bowlers, who struggled to contain their onslaught. As the innings entered the death overs, the partnership showed no signs of slowing down. In the 18th over, Sanju Samson brought up his century in just 51 balls, followed by Tilak Varma scoring his second T20I hundred in the very next over. The record-breaking 210-run partnership between Samson and Tilak lifted India to a formidable 283/1. Samson contributed an explosive 109 runs off 51 balls, while Tilak smashed an unbeaten 120 off just 47 deliveries. The South African bowling unit appeared lacklustre, with Lutho Sipamla being the only bowler to take a wicket. However, Sipamla also conceded the most runs, allowing the Indian batters to capitalise. (ANI)
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