OverPitched
NEW DELHI: Chasing a massive 220-run target, openers Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa gave India a solid start against South Africa in the one-off Twenty20 game in Johannesburg on Friday.
India raced to fifty in 5.5 overs.
Sent in to bat, Colin Ingram (78) and Jacques Kallis (61) helped South Africa set 220-run target for India.
The duo added magnificent 119-run partnership for the second wicket to set up a strong platform for a big total as the hosts compiled 219/4 in their 20 overs. It was South Africa’s highest score in Twenty20 Internationals.
Surprisingly, part-timer Suresh Raina was asked to bowl the final over and he conceded massive 21 runs in the end.
Ingram smashed three huge sixes and eight boundaries in his quick-fire 50 balls innings whereas, Kallis hit two sixes and five fours in his impressive 42-ball 61 knock.
Raina scalped the important wicket of in-form Ingram to reduce South Africa to 168/3 in 17.1 overs after R Ashwin gave India a crucial breakthrough when he dismissed Kallis in the 15th over.
Kallis raced to his fifty off 36 balls soon after Ingram scored his maiden T20 fifty off 38 balls in the previous delivery. Ingram slammed a six and six boundaries for his fifty.
Pacer Irfan Pathan struck in his first over to give India an early breakthrough. Irfan dismissed opener Richard Levi (19) to put a break on the South Africa’s blistering start.
Levi hit four boundaries in his seven-ball short stay before Irfan reduced Proteas to 22/1 in 1.4 overs.
Earlier, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the toss and decided to field against the hosts on Friday.
Robin Uthappa returned for India after a while for the match whereas, Farhaan Behardian and Dane Vilas are making their debuts for South Africa.
The match is being organised to commemorate 150 years of the settlement of the Indians in South Africa but its scheduling did raise a lot of eyebrows.
Teams
India: RV Uthappa, G Gambhir, V Kohli, RG Sharma, SK Raina, MS Dhoni (capt/wk), YK Pathan, IK Pathan, R Ashwin, P Kumar, R Vinay Kumar
South Africa: RE Levi, JH Kallis, CA Ingram, J Botha (capt), JA Morkel, F Behardien, JL Ontong, DJ Vilas (wk), WD Parnell, J Theron, F du Plessis
Umpires: JD Cloete and S George
TV umpire: AT Holdstock
Match referee: BC Broad
Reserve umpire: KH Hurter
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