NEW DELHI: South Africa secured a five-wicket victory against India in a rain-affected second T20I, taking a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match series. Despite the hosts needing to chase down a revised target of 152 in just 15 overs, they managed to achieve the victory with seven balls to spare.
India's innings concluded with three balls remaining due to rain, posting a total of 180/7 in 19.3 overs. South Africa responded aggressively after the rain break, with their top order setting the tone and maintaining the required run rate throughout the powerplay.
Opener Reeza Hendricks impressed in South Africa's successful chase, scoring 49 off 27 balls. Former South African pace great Dale Steyn praised Hendricks' technical prowess, especially his cover drive, comparing it to the elegance of former India captain Virat Kohli.
"He played so beautifully, technically correct but he also has an incredible power game and he is a wonderful timer of the ball. We talk about Virat Kohli having the classical beautiful drive, Reeza Hendricks is right up there in playing that shot," said Steyn on Star Sports.
"You saw tonight how well he played. He read the game well, took it on when it needed to be done. It was a superb knock."
2nd T20I: South Africa beat India, take 1-0 lead in the series
Acknowledging Hendricks' bit of luck in the game, Steyn noted, "India were a little unlucky. They found the edge of his bat once or twice at the start. He rode his luck and batted really well at the end of the day."
The series now stands at 1-0 in favor of South Africa, with the third and final T20I set to take place on Thursday.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less