Pant-led India are diSAppointed again

India made no changes to their playing eleven.

South Africa made two (Heinri)changes to their playing eleven – Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs made way for Reeza Hendricks and Klaasen, the player of the match.

On winning the toss, Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s skipper, chose to field.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was the first and the sixth over. They scored 42, and lost a wicket.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who faced four balls, scored a run. Five balls into the match, he was caught by Keshav Maharaj. Kagiso Rabada broke the three-run stand.

Ishan Kishan, whose 21-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and three sixes, scored 34. Thirty-five balls later, he was caught by Rassie van der Dussen. Anrich Nortje broke the 45-run stand.

India scored 50 off seven overs (42 balls). South Africa had conceded an extra at that point.

Rishabh Pant, India’s skipper, wasn’t in seventh heaven, because he scored five. Fifteen balls after Kishan’s dismissal, he was caught by van der Dussen. Maharaj broke the 20-run stand.

It was at that point that the drinks break was taken. India had scored 68 for the loss of three wickets at that point. Shreyas Iyer was batting on 26.

Sixty-one balls (10.1 overs) into the match, South Africa sought a bowling review. Hardik Pandya was the batsman. It was struck down by umpire K N Ananthapadmanabhan.

Hardik, whose 12-ball innings included a boundary, eventually scored nine. Twenty-one balls after Pant’s dismissal, Wayne Parnell broke the 22-run stand.

Shreyas, whose 35-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, eventually scored 40. Seven balls later, he was caught by Klaasen. Dwaine Pretorius broke the eight-run stand.

India scored 100 off 14.2 overs (86 balls). South Africa had conceded three extras at that point.

Axar, whose (Pat)eleven-ball innings included a boundary, scored 10. Nineteen balls after Shreyas’ dismissal, Nortje broke the 14-run stand.

Dinesh Karthik, whose 21-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, scored 30. He was unbeaten, as was Harshal Patel, who scored 12. His nine-ball innings included two boundaries.

The number of extras they eventually conceded gave South Africa no reason to be in seventh heaven.

India scored 148 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets off 20 overs.

Tabraiz Shamsi bowled two wicketless overs, conceding 21.

Maharaj bowled two overs, conceding 12. He picked up a wicket, as did Pretorius, Parnell, and Rabada, who bowled four overs apiece. They conceded, 40, 23, and 15, respectively.

Nortje bowled four overs, conceding 36. He picked up two scalps.

The first Powerplay of South Africa’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was the first and the sixth over. They scored 29, and lost three wickets.

Hendricks, who faced three balls, scored four. His runs came by way of a boundary. An over into the chase, Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke the five-run stand.

Pretorius, who faced five balls, scored four. His runs came by way of a boundary. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Avesh Khan. Bhuvneshwar broke the eight-run stand.

Van der Dussen had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored a run. Sixteen balls later, Bhuvneshwar broke the 16-run stand.

South Africa scored 50 off 9.1 overs (55 balls). India hadn’t conceded any extras at that point.

Ten overs into the chase, the drinks break was taken. South Africa had scored 57 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Bavuma was batting on 25, Klaasen was batting on 23.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 36 balls. While Bavuma’s contribution to the partnership was 11, Klaasen’s contribution to it was 41. Extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

Bavuma, whose 30-ball innings included four boundaries and a six, eventually scored 35. Forty-one balls after van der Dussen’s dismissal, Yuzvendra Chahal broke the 64-run partnership.

South Africa scored 100 off 13.3 overs (81 balls). India hadn’t conceded any extras at that point.

Klaasen’s half-century – which included half-a-dozen boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 32 balls.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 50 off 26 balls. While Klaasen’s contribution to the partnership was 32, David Miller’s contribution to it was 15. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three. That was, incidentally, the number of extras India eventually conceded.

Klaasen, whose 46-ball innings included seven boundaries and five sixes, eventually scored 81. Twenty-eight balls after Bavuma’s dismissal, he was caught by the substitute, Ravi Bishnoi. Harshal broke the 51-run partnership.

Miller, whose 15-ball innings included a boundary and a six, eventually scored 20. He was unbeaten, as was Rabada, who didn’t face a ball.

Parnell, who faced four balls, scored a run. An over later, Bhuvneshwar broke the three-run stand.

South Africa, who scored 149 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets off 18.2 overs, won by four wickets with 10 balls to spare.

Shreyas bowled two wicketless balls, conceding as many.

Axar bowled a wicketless over, conceding 19.

Hardik and Avesh bowled three wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 31, the latter conceded 17.

Harshal bowled three overs, conceding 17. He picked up a wicket, as did Chahal, who bowled four overs, conceding 49.

Bhuvneshwar bowled four overs, conceding 13. He picked up four scalps.

South Africa led the five-match series 2-0.