Some lusty late striking from Marco Jansen turned what looked like being a drubbing for the Proteas, into an exciting finish, but ultimately it was India which achieved the outcome that Tilak Varma’s efforts deserved.
The tourists head into Friday’s final T20 international in this series with a 2-1 advantage courtesy of an 11-run victory at SuperSport Park on Wednesday night. For Varma, it was a coming of age performance on the international stage, where all the IPL hype was justified with an innings of dazzling endeavour, which he celebrated with appropriate enthusiasm.
For the Proteas more questions. Why can’t the bowling unit back up one good performance with another? Why hasn’t Ottneil Baartman played yet, despite being fit and a part of the series, while Lutho Sipamla, only chosen for the last two matches got a run here?
When is Ryan Rickelton going to turn one of these starts into something substantial? And can someone deliver good fortune to Aiden Markram?
It was another rough night for the South African captain, who watched helplessly as the majority of his bowlers unleashed an assortment of lollipops that Varma and Co, tucked into with relish.
Only Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj, were able to provide control and in fact the latter was doing such a good job at one point, that India looked like they could be limited to less than 200.
However Varma’s gunslinger approach left the rest of the attack shaken. Gerald Coetzee, fresh off a three month strength and conditioning stint, may have wished he could return to the “whole lot of gymming and running,” of that programme, as he got hammered to all parts of the ground, conceding 51 runs in three overs.
The only way to prevent the fours and sixes was seemingly to bowl wides, which he did seven times, while throwing in a no ball too.
It was ragged from the home team, a stark contrast with the discipline shown in the Gqeberha on Sunday.
Nevertheless Varma deserves credit for taking advantage of SA’s generosity. He smacked eight fours and seven sixes in unbeaten 107, the first of what will surely be many international hundreds. He was chiefly responsible for accelerating India’s innings at both the start and end; first with 70 runs in the power play and then 81 runs in the last six overs. That resulted in India top 200 for the second time in the series, with their final total of 219, leaving Markram exasperated.
His mood wasn’t lifted by how his side started their run chase. The top three, which includes the skipper all reached the 20s, with some sublime stroke play, and then got out before getting to 30. Having just heaved a pair of sixes, Markram turned the highveld air, which had earlier been filled with a swarm of flying ants, blue, after picking out India’s debutant Ramadeep Singh on the midwicket boundary.
Hopes were raised as Heinrich Klaasen finally found something reminiscent of his best form, in a belligerent innings that contained four sixes, three of which were struck off consecutive deliveries from Varun Chakravarthy, SA’s nemesis in the first two matches of the series.
Jansen crashed a 17-ball 54, that included four fours and five sixes, which sadly for him proved insufficient.
The ill-discipline with the ball, had created a target that was too steep — certainly it was for this batting unit, who could do with some good fortune.
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