CENTURION: A combination of flying ants, a fused light pylon and Tilak Varma’s maiden T20I century proved to be the undoing of the Proteas on a balmy Wednesday night at SuperSport Park.
It was just 18 months ago here at this very ground that the Proteas chased down a world-record 258 against the West Indies.
But that was always going to be the exception to the rule, with India’s 219/6 proving to be ample on the night as the South Africans went down by 11 runs.
If a 25-minute delay due to flying insects hovering over the pitch after the Proteas’ first over of the run chase was not distracting enough, the home team were always going to need a strong start if they were to construct another memorable chase.
Play is delayed at SuperSport Park 🚨
There are too many Flying Ants on the ground and the umpires have called the players off the field 👇
📺 Stream #SAvIND on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw pic.twitter.com/a3HRDcbonb
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
Openers Ryan Rickelton (20 off 15 balls) and Reeza Hendricks (21 off 13 balls) threatened, but neither were able to stay there long enough to genuinely pose a threat.
So, too, captain Aiden Markram. The skipper has endured a modest return in T20Is the past two years, but on his beloved home ground, it seemed that like the Celine Dion hit song, it was all coming back to him now.
There were two sublime sixes off India’s mystery spinner – and Proteas’ chief nemesis during this series – Varun Chakravarthy (2/54), which sailed over long-on.
But the Proteas needed much more from their leader.
And like so many instances in the recent past, Markram (29 off 18 balls) gave it all away when he chalked arguably Chakravarthy’s worst ball of the series – a rank half-tracker – down debutant Ramandeep Singh’s throat at deep midwicket.
There was no coming back from there.
Heinrich Klaasen (41 off 22 balls) may have treated the Centurion crowd to some entertaining six-hitting afterwards, and Marco Jansen’s maiden T20I half-century (54 off 17 balls, 4×4, 5×6) reducing the equation to 18 off the final four deliveries, but not even the spirited Machaka band was going to inspire yet another come-from-behind victory.
A super catch on the rope by Axar Patel 😲😲
📺 Stream #SAvIND on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyR504 pic.twitter.com/hykqpGfVXY
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
And yet it all seemed so different in the afternoon when Jansen removed Sanju Samson for his second consecutive duck with just the second ball of the day.
All that achieved, though, was to bring Varma to the crease earlier than expected. The latest off the conveyor belt of dynamic Indian T20 batters, Varma was undeterred by the early loss of Samson.
The Mumbai Indians left-hander thrilled both the large Indian contingent in the stands along with the neutrals, and the home support could only look on in awe.
It was a bristling, fearless affair, with the front leg clearly out of the way, followed by a biff or bang that was carved primarily over or through the offside.
Imagine hitting your second ball to the fence like this 🤯🤯
📺 Stream #SAvIND on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw pic.twitter.com/q7IebJbGGG
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
He needed just one Jansen sighter before signalling his intentions with a boundary over backward point, followed by a maximum over third man that sailed onto the grass banks.
From thereon, it was pure carnage, with Varma taking particular aim at his former Mumbai Indians teammate Gerald Coetzee.
Just under half of Varma’s seven sixes on the night came off Coetzee, who ultimately bled 51 runs in his three overs.
Amazingly, it was not even Varma (107 not out off 56 balls, 8×4, 7×6) that did the most damage in the Powerplay. That was left to his partner Abishek Sharma, who was even quicker out of the starting blocks.
The pair raced to 70/1 by the time the fielding restrictions were lifted, and went on to put together a 107-run partnership for the second wicket off just 56 balls.
And even though Sharma (50 off 25 balls, 3×4, 5×6) and captain Suryakumar Yadav fell in quick succession, India could absorb the mini wobble due to Varma going to become India’s youngest T20I centurion.
For his match-winning Maiden T20I Century, Tilak Varma is adjudged the Player of the Match 👏👏
Scorecard – https://t.co/JBwOUChxmG#TeamIndia | #SAvIND | @TilakV9 pic.twitter.com/kvVhaYwOG7
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 13, 2024
South Africa’s discipline at the death also did themselves no favours.
Ten wides and three no-balls provided India with the impetus at the most crucial stage, with 65 runs coming in the final five overs – despite Jansen conceding just four in the last.
The T20I caravan now heads down to the Wanderers Bullring for the final encounter of the series on Friday (5pm start), with the Proteas fully aware there is no longer any room for error.
Brief Scores
India: 219/6 (Varma 107*, Sharma 50; Simelane 2/34, Maharaj 2/36)
South Africa: 208/7 (Jansen 54, Klaasen 41; Arshdeep 3/37)
India won by 11 runs, lead series 2-1
