CUTTACK: South African wicket-keeper batter Heinrich Klaasen shone with his career-best T20I knock of 81 runs after the bowlers displayed combined effort to power the touring side to outclass India by four wickets in the second T20I of the ongoing five-match series.
At the toss, the South African captain Temba Bavuma put the hosts in to bat first as the coin flipped in his favour.
India, in response, could only manage to score 148/6 in the allotted 20 overs as the Proteas bowlers kept things tight for the host batters.
The home side were off to a poor start as the South African pacer Kagiso Rabada struck in the first over to remove the opener Raturaj Gaikwad for one at a combined score of three.
Following the early disaster, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer attempted to anchor the inning as the pair put on the highest partnership for India in the match.
The pair appeared firm as they were ticking the scoreboard at a decent pace before Kishan lost his wicket to Anrich Nortje in the seventh over. The left-handed batter scored 34 off just 21 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and three sixes.
Following his dismissal, the home side began to lose wickets at a regular interval and slipped 98/5 in the 14th over as their top-scorer Iyer also made his way back falling prey to the match-defining collapse. Iyer scored 40 off 35 balls, including two boundaries and as many sixes.
The wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik then bolstered his side to a commendable following a blistering knock in the death overs. He remained unbeaten with 30 runs off just 21 balls, laced with two boundaries and as many sixes.
For South Africa, Nortje led the way with two wickets, while Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorious, Keshav Maharaj, and Rabada claimed one wicket each.
In the run chase, the touring side were off to even more dismal as they lost three wickets for a mere 29 runs in the sixth over.
The South African captain Bavuma and hero of the match Klaasen then anchored the run chase with a magnificent 64-run partnership for the fourth wicket and made sure to cope up with the required run rate.
Bavuma, however, fell short to Yuzvendra Chahal, who castled him in the 13th over. He scored 35 off 30 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six.
Klaasen, on the other hand, kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly during his career-best knock. The right-handed batter, however, perished in the 17th over but had taken the game out of India’s grasp.
Klaasen top-scored for his side with a valiant knock of 81 runs off just 46 deliveries, smashing seven boundaries and five sixes.
South Africa’s last match hero David Miller remained unbeaten with his 20 and made sure of his side to steer to the victory.
For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar starred with the ball; taking four wickets, while Harhsal Patel and Chahal made one scalp each.
READ: Pakistani Boxers Usman, Asif triumph WBA titles in Gilgit Boxing Festival
