India defeated South Africa by 30 runs in the fifth T20 to seal the series 3-1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Chasing 232, Quinton de Kock gave South Africa a strong start, keeping pace with India’s powerplay score and keeping the match competitive. When Brevis joined him, the duo accelerated, taking the score to 118 in 10 overs.
That’s when Jasprit Bumrah made the breakthrough, dismissing de Kock with a brilliant catch. His wicket sparked a collapse, as South Africa lost 4 wickets for 15 runs, falling from 120/1 to 135/5.
Varun Chakaravarthy contributed with a four-wicket haul, but it was Bumrah’s spell of 2 for 17 in 4 overs that turned the game decisively in India’s favor. South Africa couldn’t recover, and India maintained control till the end.
India posted 231 runs batting first. The innings was powered by Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, who both scored impressive half-centuries, while Sanju Samson also made a valuable contribution.
Hardik Pandya’s 16-Ball Fifty
Hardik Pandya smashed a quick 63 off 25 balls, completing his fifty in just 16 deliveries – the second-fastest T20 fifty by an Indian. This effort surpassed Abhishek Sharma’s 17-ball fifty against England earlier this year. Hardik’s innings included 5 fours and 5 sixes. The fastest T20 half-century for India still belongs to Yuvraj Singh, who reached fifty in 12 balls during the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Tilak Varma and Samson Shine
Tilak Varma scored a brilliant 73 off 42 balls, becoming only the second Indian batsman this year to surpass 500 T20I runs – Abhishek Sharma being the first with 859 runs.
Sanju Samson, opening the innings after several matches, made the most of his opportunity, scoring 37 runs off 22 balls at a strike rate of 168.18, with 4 fours and 2 sixes.
On the other hand, Suryakumar Yadav struggled once again, making just 5 runs off 7 balls, while Shivam Dube scored 10 runs off 3 balls in a brief cameo.
Also on ABP Live | Hardik Pandya’s Half-Century Celebration Turns Emotional With Mahika – Watch Video
