SA batters take India pacers to the cleaners in 49-run win

INDORE: Rilee Rossouw’s stroke-filled 100 not out off just 48 balls (7 fours, 8 sixes) set up a morale-boosting 49-run win for South Africa in the inconsequential third T20I here on Tuesday as concerns around the India bowling attack grew ahead of the T20 World Cup.

A rampaging Rossouw and opener Quinton de Kock (68 off 43 balls, 6 fours, 4 sixes) fired South Africa to a mammoth 227 for three against a profligate India pace pack that included Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Deepak Chahar, who all leaked 11 or more runs per over. At a high-scoring ground with small dimensions, India kept losing wickets regularly to end at 178 all-out in 18.3 overs. However, India won the series 2-1.

The only positive for the Rohit Sharma-led team from the match was Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik getting much-needed game time. Opening the innings in KL Rahul’s absence, Pant looked in ominous touch during his 14-ball 27 (3 fours, 2 sixes), which included two sumptuous straight drives. With India playing only five specialist batters, Karthik got to come out at No.4 and he made good use of the opportunity.

His 21-ball 46 included four maximums, one of them a sensational scoop off Wayne Parnell. After smoking two sixes off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (2/34), Karthik, who also hit four fours, went for a reverse hit that led to his undoing. Chahar showed his ability with the bat as he delayed the inevitable with 31 runs off 17 balls (2 fours, 3 sixes).

Earlier, Harshal (0/49) continued to leak a lot of runs, on a forgettable night for all four India pacers. On a belter of a pitch, South Africa made a good start, reaching 48 for one in the powerplay with de Kock and Rossouw in destructive mood. Their belligerent 90-run stand came after skipper Temba Bavuma (3) fell cheaply to Umesh (1/34).

Meanwhile, de Kock got his first six with a pick-up shot off Siraj, who featured for the first time in the series. His next maximum was even more delightful as he moved across the stumps to swat a wide length ball off Chahar over square leg. Rossouw then got into the act with a flat six off Siraj in the seventh over.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was brought on in the powerplay, was hit for two maximums in the ninth over. De Kock came up with a spectacular reverse sweep, before Rossouw employed the conventional sweep to dispatch the ball over square leg. Siraj could have caught the latter, but fluffed it to over the fence.

India removed de Kock via a run-out against the run of play in the 13th over, but the South Africa batters kept aiming for the big hits. In the final over, the in-form David Miller (19 not out off 5 balls, 3 sixes) sent a high full toss from Chahar out of the ground before collecting two more sixes. In the over that went for as many as 24 runs, Rossouw completed his maiden T20I hundred with a single to deep mid-wicket.

BRIEF SCORES: South Africa 227/3 in 20 overs (R Rossouw 100*, Q de Kock 68) bt India 178 in 18.3 overs (D Karthik 46, D Pretorius 3/26)