Quinton de Kock's 90, pacers' crucial strikes help SA level the series

Quinton de Kock's blistering 90 and Marco Jansen's PowerPlay strikes set up South Africa's series-levelling 51-run win in Mullanpur on Thursday. The opener's fireworks ensured South Africa posted a stiff 213/4 from their 20 overs to cover for the expected dew later in the night. Tilak Varma hit a valiant 62 but didn't find stable company once Jansen-led bowling had reduced India to 51/3 in the PowerPlay.

A direct hit at the non-striker's end on the third ball of the night could have separated the South African openers. The reprieved Reeza Hendricks cost only eight runs, undone by a carrom ball from Varun Chakravarthy in his first over. By then, de Kock had settled in with three sixes already. He hit his fourth, off Axar Patel in the final over of the PowerPlay, bringing up South Africa's quick 50.

De Kock raised a 26-ball half-century, his 17th in T20Is, with a midwicket boundary before relaunching the big hits. Axar was welcomed with one, and a ball later the opener raised the half-century of his partnership with Aiden Markram, who had chipped in only 14 to it. Arshdeep Singh's third over saw 18 runs leaked in an over of 13 deliveries that included seven wides.

South Africa's 100 was raised in the process. Markram then took over briefly, launching two straight sixes off Chakravarthy before the spinner had the last laugh to fetch his second victim. Dewald Brevis joined de Kock and together they kept up with the run-rate. It took some smart glove-work from Jitesh Sharma to end de Kock's threatening run on 90 when he stepped out the crease momentarily. On the first ball of the very next over, Axar had Brevis caught at long-on.

Two quiet wicket-overs of spin at the start of the death overs dragged South Africa's run-rate below 10, but Jasprit Bumrah's attempted yorkers went haywire, offering three boundary hits and a 15-run 18th over. Arshdeep, too, returned into the attack with a juicy full-toss and Donovan Ferreira smoked it over the long-on fence. The duo fetched 49 alone in the final three overs to take the visitors to 213/4 as both Bumrah and Arshdeep struggled for control with a wet ball.

India managed just two fewer than South Africa's PowerPlay haul, but also lost two more wickets. Shubman Gill bagged a golden duck, his second successive failure of the series. Abhishek Sharma smacked a couple of sixes early on but became the first of Jansen's two PowerPlay strikes. The lanky pacer then had to convince his captain to review against Suryakumar Yadav, and was vindicated when the replays confirmed a faint edge.

Varma built two useful stands to keep India's hopes up against a constantly creeping asking-rate. He added 35 in 22 deliveries with Axar Patel, who was promoted at No. 3 and made a run-a-ball 21. Next up was Hardik Pandya, who added a 51-run partnership with Varma. He was batting on 8 off 15 before fetching a six but could only chip in a 23-ball 20, unable to find his timing.

Varma marched to a 27-ball half-century with a maximum off Lungi Ngidi, and found company in Jitesh to carry forward India's fight. India needed an improbable 91 off the final five overs. Ottneil Baartman's comeback over proved a touch expensive but Jansen gave away only six in the 17th. The required rate was 24 for the last 18 deliveries, and Lutho Sipamla conceded a six to each of the two batters before eventually breaking the threatening stand. Jitesh, after making 27 off 17, left India at 157/6 towards the end of the 18th over.

Baartman helped clean up the tail in the penultimate over, accounting for three late wickets before Ngidi put an end to Varma's fight, wrapping up India's reply on 162.

Brief scores: South Africa 213/4 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 90, Donovan Ferreira 30*; Varun Chakravarthy 2-29) beat India 162 all out in 19.1 overs (Tilak Varma 62; Ottneil Baartman 4-24, Marco Jansen 2-25) by 51 runs.