India disappoint as South Africa seal Twenty20 series with a game to spare
Albie Morkel grabbed three wickets on his return to international cricket after 18 months to help South Africa win the second T20 International against India in Cuttack and seal the three-match series 2-0.
Pacer Morkel, playing in the place of Marchant de Lange, dismissed skipper MS Dhoni (five), Axar Patel (nine) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (zero) to rip open the lower order. However, India were undone much earlier by two crucial run outs and careless shot selection to be dismissed for a paltry 92 in 17.2 overs, after being put in to bat.
It was India’s second lowest T20 I total following their 74 all out against Australia in Melbourne in 2008.
Play was interrupted twice after sections of the crowd threw plastic bottles onto the ground with South Africa needing 29 from 54 deliveries and 23 to win off 42 deliveries respectively. South Africa won by six wickets with 17 deliveries remaining.
Leg-break bowler Imran Tahir took two wickets, dismissing Suresh Raina (22) and Harbhajan Singh (zero) off consecutive deliveries, before Ravichandran Ashwin denied him a hat-trick.
The hosts were left reeling at 45-4 after opening T20I centurion Rohit Sharma (22) and Virat Kohli (one) were run out. Pacer Chris Morris, who also took two wickets, dismissed opener Shikhar Dhawan (11) lbw in his first over after coming on in the place of Tahir. New man Kohli (one) was run out attempting a second run, while Sharma fell to a direct hit by David Miller from point.
Ambati Rayudu was promoted ahead of Dhoni, but was bowled playing across the line to pacer Kagiso Rabada as India crawled to 58-4 at the end of 10 overs. Dhoni was caught behind attempting to slash at Morkel while Tahir, reintroduced into the attack in the 11th over, had Raina caught in the covers and Singh bowled first ball, driving away from his body. Patel was caught at mid-wicket flicking early at Morkel, who two balls later dismissed Kumar clean bowled. Only four Indians reached double figures.
Off-spinner Ashwin dismissed openers AB deVilliers (19) and Hashim Amla (two) and skipper Faf du Plessis (16) to breathe some life into the match. However, JP Duminy (30 not out) and Farhaan Behardien (11), who fashioned South Africa’s victory in the opening T20I in Dharmashala, stitched up a 27-run stand for the fourth wicket to put the team on road to victory.
Behardien fell after the second interruption but David Miller and Duminy saw their team through.
The third and final T20I will be played in Kolkata on October 8.
Brief scores:
India 92 in17.2 overs (A Morkel 3-12) lost to South Africa 96-4 in 17.1 overs (JP Duminy 30 not out, R Ashwin 3-24).