Heinrich Klaasen powered South Africa to a four-wicket victory with a match-winning 81 in the second T20I against India in Cuttack on Sunday evening. The Proteas lead the five-match series 2-0.
Klaasen was back to his brilliant best after only returning to the Proteas starting XI due to Quinton de Kock’s injured finger.
It was an innings South Africa required after Bhuvuneshwar Kumar (4/13) showed off all his class and experience to rock South Africa’s chase.
India had only managed to post 148/6, and required a positive start with the ball, and Kumar responded perfectly for his captain Rishabh Pant. Kumar claimed three wickets in the Powerplay, pushing South Africa back in the very first over when he clean bowled Reeza Hendricks.
The 32-year-old is extremely skillful and utilised his full bag of tricks when he dismissed Dwaine Pretorius a couple of overs later. Pretorius was once again sent in to pinch hit at No 3 for the Proteas.
Knowing that Pretorius was looking to hit him off his lengths, Kumar pulled it back and utilised a change of pace to have the allrounder caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary.
South Africa were 13/2 after 2.5 overs and India were dictating matters at this juncture.
The visitors’ position became even more precarious when Pant called on his talisman Kumar for an extra over. Kumar delivered by clean bowling South Africa’s Delhi hero Rassie van der Dussen with the penultimate ball of the Powerplay.
SKILLFUL KUMAR
This brought the recalled Klaasen to the crease. The Titans skipper looked like he was playing on a different surface from the outset.
He formed a solid partnership of 64 off 41 balls for the fourth wicket with his skipper Bavuma to change the impetus of the innings in South Africa’s favour. The pair took the score to 93 before Bavuma (35 off 30 balls) was clean bowled for Yuzvendra Chahal.
Klaasen was not fazed though as he moved to his fourth T20I half-century off just 32 balls (6x4, 2x6) as South Africa reeled in the required run-rate.
Although India picked up a couple of wickets towards the backend of the innings, Klaasen had done the yards and David Miller (20 not out) could simply add the finishing touches.
"Klaasy hasn't played much recently and for him to come in and play the way he did," Miller said.
'PHENOMENAL'
"His knock was phenomenal and one of the best I have seen. The conditions in which he played and to come out and do what he did made it easy for us at the back end."
"It was a great win. It was a little bit of a tricky wicket as we all knew, we weren't in trouble but they bowled really well upfront in the first 10 overs," Miller said.
"It was about playing your game and not worrying about the wicket, if it is keeping low it gets in your head as a batter, so you are not quite sure whether to go forward or not, it was about looking to play straight. It was a little bit up and down but we managed to finish it."
Miller, who has been in superb form of late, also explained why Klaasen came to the crease before him.
"It was the coach and captain's decision, and was more to just hold me back but Klaasy proved us wrong," he said.
"It is really tough to win here, so to have a win like this and be 2-0 up is a great achievement. We are on the right track but there's still a lot of cricket to be played."
COMPOSED KLAASEN
Earlier in the evening, the Proteas restricted India to 148/6 after inserting their hosts.
Bavuma showed good tactical acumen by rotating his bowlers smartly, utilising his seamers initially to push India back during the Powerplay.
Spearhead Kagiso Rabada (1/15) responded to his skipper’s call by removing opener Ruturaj Gaikwad in the very first over for just a single.
Ishan Kishan, though, met the challenge head-on by taking on the Proteas fast men by hooking and pulling anything they dropped remotely short. The dashing left-hander ensured the hosts maintained a positive run-rate during the Powerplay by striking three sixes and two fours in an exhilarating 21-ball 34.
However, Kishan fell by his sword when Anrich Nortje dug one in again. On this occasion it was just too quick and it rushed Kishan, who only managed to find Rassie van der Dussen on the square-leg boundary.
Bavuma only turned to his spin twins Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj after the seventh over and the Indian batters immediately recognised at it an opportunity to raise the run-rate even further.
Shreyas Iyer attacked Shamsi from the outset by clubbing the left-arm wrist-spinner for a six and four off consecutive deliveries in his first over.
MASSIVE BLOW
Maharaj, though, showed greater tactical awareness when he deceived Indian captain Rishabh Pant with his line very first ball. Realising Pant would attack him, he pushed the ball wide off the off stump and Pant just threw his hands at it but only to find deep extra cover.
It was a massive blow for the Proteas as India were reduced to 68/3 after nine overs.
The visitors maintained the pressure when Wayne Parnell (1/23) was reintroduced into the attack. The left-arm seamer has been impressive since returning to the Proteas team after a five-year absence and was duly rewarded when he clean bowled Hardik Pandya for nine.
India slipped further into the quagmire when Dwaine Pretorius removed the dangerous Shreyas Iyer when the right-hander edged behind to Heinrich Klassen for 40. The hosts were now 98/5 after 13.5 overs.
And although India also lost Axar Patel to Anrich Nortje (2/36) a couple of overs later, Dinesh Karthik and Harshal Patel ensured they at least posted a competitive total with an unbroken 36-run partnership of 18 balls, with 30 of these runs coming off the final two overs.
Karthik finished unbeaten on 30 not out off just 12 balls, while Patel added 12 off nine balls.
INDIA: Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan
SOUTH AFRICA: Temba Bavuma (capt), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Dwaine Pretorius, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje