The Proteas almost did the unthinkable to chase down a target of 220 in the third T20 International against India at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday night – but it was not to be.
The tourists posted 219/6, with Tilak Varma’s sensational 107 not out off 56 balls (8x4, 7x6) the stand-out innings.
South Africa were down and out at 84/4 after 10 overs, but some thrilling hitting from Heinrich Klaasen (41 off 22 balls, 1x4, 4x6) and Marco Jansen (54 off 17 balls, 4x4, 5x6) took them close, and they ended on 208/7.
The SuperSport Park faithful are getting ready for the #BetwaySA20 😏🔥
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Cricket writer Ongama Gcwabe picks five big moments that captured the imagination in India’s 11-run victory...
Sanju Samson wicket
South Africa had a taste of Sanju Samson’s rich vein of form in the first T20 as he blasted India to a 61-run victory in Durban last week. This has made his wicket the most prized in this young Indian batting unit, and Proteas fast bowler Marco Jansen has made it his task to keep the batter at bay.
In Wednesday’s third T20I at Centurion, the left-arm fast bowler dismissed Samson in the very first over, just as he had done in Gqeberha during the second encounter of the series.
The wicket signalled a big moment in the game as the danger man was back in the dugout without scoring.
Sanju Sams00n 🦆👀
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
It's consecutive ducks for the opener as Jansen makes a mess of his stumps 👇
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Coetzee’s 21-run over
With India cruising on 154/4 after 15 overs, the 16th was always going to be crucial.
However, it was India who capitalised as Varma and Rinku Singh combined for 21 runs in the 16th, the most expensive over of the innings.
Varma struck Coetzee for two sixes in the first three balls, and eventually took India to 175/4 after 16 overs, laying the perfect foundation for the Indian batters to tee off in the last four overs.
That over was crucial to India setting a mammoth 219/6 in the end, a total that proved too much for the Proteas.
Yadav drops Klaasen
South Africa was on 103/4 after 13 overs, with the required rate climbing towards 17 runs per over, and then Heinrich Klaasen started the 14th with three consecutive sixes over the cow-corner boundary.
The middle-order batter was dragging South Africa back into the game while going after India’s best bowler, Varun Chakravarthy.
In the fourth ball of the Chakravarthy over, in search of a fourth boundary, Klaasen middled one straight to Suryakumar Yadav at extra cover, but the skipper dropped him – a chance that would have undoubtedly taken the game away from the Proteas. It was a dropped catch that could have lost India the victory.
Play is delayed at SuperSport Park 🚨
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
There are too many Flying Ants on the ground and the umpires have called the players off the field 👇
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Axar Patel catch
With Klaasen having survived in the 14th over, India could not afford another missed opportunity, and with David Miller alongside Klaasen, India had to take all their chances.
When Miller was served a juicy short ball by Hardik Pandya in the 16th, his eyes lit up and he went for a pull shot, only to find Axar Patel on the fence – and the fielder completed a scintillating catch under immense pressure, which was crucial.
A super catch on the rope by Axar Patel 😲😲
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
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The Review
Just 25 runs away from what would have been the third-highest total chased at SuperSport Park in international T20s, with Gerald Coetzee on strike and the man in form, Marco Jansen, at the bowler’s end, South Africa needed to get Jansen back on strike at all costs to stand a chance to win in the last over.
Arshdeep Singh bowled a low full toss that hit Coetzee on the pads, and the pair rotated strike and the Indians asked for a review.
Though close, the review was lost and Jansen had the strike with the Proteas needing 24 runs with five balls remaining. This moment was important in the context of the match as it meant that South Africa had a glimmer of hope in the final stages.