January 07, 2025 09:31 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Centre announces memorial for Pranab Mukherjee, his daughter thanks PM Modi for 'gracious gesture' | Delhi assembly elections on Feb 5, results on Feb 8 | Allu Arjun visits boy injured during Pushpa 2 stampede in Hyderabad | Donald Trump repeats his US-Canada merger offer after Justin Trudeau's resignation | India's HMPV cases surge to 7 after two cases reported from Nagpur | H-1B visa renewal will get simpler in 2025, Indians to benefit most as home country travel won't be required | As India detects 3 HMPV cases, #lockdown trends; Centre says no need to panic | Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canada's PM amid rising pressure by partymates | 8 jawans, driver killed as Maoists blow up security vehicle in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur | Atul Subhash suicide: Karnataka High Court refuses to quash FIR against wife Nikita Singhania
India-South Africa
Photo Courtesy: BCCI X page

Suryakumar Yadav's scintillating ton, Kuldeep's five-fer power India to level series

| @indiablooms | Dec 15, 2023, at 02:33 pm

Suryakumar Yadav's scintillating century and Kuldeep Yadav's five-fer, saw India thrash South Africa by 106 runs and level the three-match T20I series 1-1 at the New Wanderers here on Thursday.

India were 0-1 down prior to this win, and they desperately needed a victory and they succeeded in doing it after South Africa sent India into bat.

After two quick wickets of Shubman Gill (8) and Tilak Varma (0) in consecutive balls to spinner Keshav Maharaj, Suryakumar and Yashasvi Jaiswal stitched a 112 runs partnership for the third wicket.

While Suryakumar hammered a record-equalling T20I century, Jaiswal cracked 41-ball 60. Both exhibited some delightful shots by trusting the bouncy Wanderers pitch.

After they took India to 87/2 at the half-way mark, the duo cut loose, especially Suryakumar who displayed his 360 degree arched shots to tame the SA bowlers who looked benign.

The India captain took a liking for Andile Phehlukwayo and scored 22 runs in the 13th over, bringing up his half-century too.

Jaiswal also showed some aggressive glimpse by punishing Lizaad Williams, but he fell to left-armer Tabraiz Shamsi after being caught by Reeza Hendricks. The loss did not stop Suryakumar who continued to whack SA bowlers.

India captain reached his century by running two runs off the 55th ball. Soon after he was undone after Mathew Breetzke caught the ball at the edge of the ropes off Williams.

But by that time, India had almost reached 200 runs after losing a slew of wickets at the end, including the hit-wicket dismissal of Jitesh Sharma.

Mohammed Siraj laid the foundation by bowling a maiden over, and then Mukesh Kumar followed it up by picking up a wicket in the next over.

Arshdeep Singh too joined the party and Siraj staged Hendricks' run-out. An injury to skipper Suryakumar forced him off the field and stand-in captain Jadeja took control both in the field and with the ball as well.

Jadeja and Kuldeep got a bit of purchase off the pitch and ripped through the Proteas' middle and lower order, before sealing a big win for their side, their biggest in terms of runs against South Africa.

The pitch certainly played differently in the second innings. Hendricks (8) was bogged down in the very first over as he did not get bat on ball, which had a repelling effect on Breetzke who was dismissed in the very next over for 4.

Hendricks himself got out soon after which triggered a sort of a collapse with skipper Aiden Markram (25) and Heinrich Klaasen (5) playing poor shots to get out.
David Miller fought a lone battle and one after another, batsmen came and went back to the hut.
Miller remained unbeaten on 35 but the hosts were bundled out for a meager 95 runs.
This was a resounding comeback by India which helped them level the series in the final game, and Kuldeep will never forget this as he picked up his career-best T20I figures 5/17 in 2.5 overs on his birthday.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.