Hardik and DK during 4th T20 vs SA
Highlights
- India won the match by 82 runs
- The 5-match series now stands at 2-2
India absolutely hammered South Africa in the 4th T20 at Rajkot to win the match by 82 runs. It has been a great turnaround for the men in blue. After suffering two moral-breaking losses, they have come back to haunt SA by winning the third T20 by 48 runs, and then the fourth T20 by 82 runs.
South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Proteas started on a high. Firstly, Ngidi sent Gaikwad packing, and then Jansen came to scalp out Iyer. Kishan, as usual, started out slowly, but couldn't carry on and went back after scoring 27 off 26 deliveries. No doubt, SA had India down in the dumps for a while.
The men in blue were reeling at 40/3 at one stage. Pant and Hardik stitched a little partnership together, but Pant failed yet again, and the scorecard read 81/4.
It was then that Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya joined hands, played with a mix of caution and aggression till the 15th over, stabilised the ship, and then came out all guns blazing.
Pandya hit 46 off 31 deliveries, and Karthik made 55 of 27 deliveries to life India to a fighting total of 169. Chasing 170, SA just couldn't get going. First, they lost Bavuma to an elbow injury, and after that, no other batter looked like taking the game away from India.
Miller and Dussen failed, Avesh Khan took 3 in an over, and India eventually folded SA out for a mere 87 runs - making this win, the biggest ever for India over SA in T20s.
