India won their maiden T20 series in South Africa after defeating the hosts by 7 runs in the third and final match in Cape Town on Saturday, 24 February. Indian captain Virat Kohli was ruled out of the big game due to a stiff back, and Rohit Sharma was named India’s stand-in skipper for the series decider at Newlands.
After being put in to bat, Sharma could not contribute much, and fell for just 11 runs. Opener Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina then steadied India’s ship with a 65-run stand for the second wicket. Man of the match Raina smashed 43 off 33 balls before getting out caught by Shamsi. Incoming batsman Dhawan on the other hand, was run out for 47 in the 16th over, reducing India to 111/3. India lost three wickets in the last two overs to end their patchy innings at 172/7.
South Africa made a slow start to their innings, scoring just 52 runs in the first 10 overs. While opener Hendricks fell for just 7, Raina picked up the crucial wicket of David Miller (24). Skipper JP Duminy stayed on the crease for a while, even scoring a half-century off 38 deliveries. However, the Protean batsman was dismissed for 55.
Needing 64 run off just 24 balls, all hope seemed to be lost for South Africa. But T20 is an unpredictable format. Debutant Christiaan Jonker went bonkers with fours and sixes, reducing South Africa’s target to just 19 required off the last over. However, the batsman had no reply on Bhuvneshwar’s knuckleballs. The Indian pacer managed to restrict South Africa to 165/6, seven runs short of their target.
(The Quint, in association with BitGiving, has launched a crowdfunding campaign for an 8-month-old who was raped in Delhi on 28 January 2018. The baby girl, who we will refer to as 'Chhutki', was allegedly raped by her 28-year-old cousin when her parents were away. She has been discharged from AIIMS hospital after undergoing three surgeries, but needs more medical treatment in order to heal completely. Her parents hail from a low-income group and have stopped going to work so that they can take care of the baby. You can help cover Chhutki's medical expenses and secure her future. Every little bit counts. Click here to donate.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)