A stunning display of power hitting by Proteas allrounder Marco Jansen almost helped his team come back from the dead, before they fell to a 11-run loss against India in the third Wonder Cement T20 International at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday night.
It gives the visitors a 2-1 lead heading into the final T20I of the series at the Wanderers on Friday night, where the hosts will be desperate to level things up.
The Proteas won the toss and chose to bowl, with India powering to an imposing 219-6 in their 20 overs thanks to a superb century from Tilak Varma.
The Proteas then responded with 208-7 in their 20, with Jansen slamming a breathless 54 off just 17 balls, cracking four fours and five sixes, to get his side close to what would have been an amazing win.
India win a thriller in Centurion to lead the four-match series with one to play 👏#SAvIND | #SummerOfCricket pic.twitter.com/fhCr0Gi9Al
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
“I am proud that we got that close with some special contributions from the middle to lower order there for us. So we will take a lot of positives from that,” said Proteas captain Aiden Markram.
“We knew coming to Centurion that it is a game of really small margins with bat and ball and if you can win a few key moments here and there you can generally stand a better chance.
“So I am proud of the effort to get that close, and we can tidy up on a couple of things come (the final T20) Joburg.”
The Proteas' chase got off to a strange start as, after taking seven off the first over, the game was delayed for a bit due to a swarm of flying ants that invaded the field.
Play is delayed at SuperSport Park 🚨
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
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
They were soon back and Ryan Rickelton (20) was promptly dropped on seven in the second over.
However, despite cracking a four and six off Arshdeep Singh in the third over, he was unable to capitalise as he chopped the last ball of the over onto his own stumps with the score 27-1.
Reeza Hendricks (21) tried to get going in the fifth over as he smashed three boundaries off Axar Patel, but in the next over he came down the wicket to Varun Chakravarthy, missed and was stumped by keeper Sanju Samson as the home side slipped to 47-2.
Captain Aiden Markram (29) and Tristan Stubbs (12) found themselves bogged down and in the ninth over Stubbs was trapped LBW trying to reverse sweep Patel to leave his side struggling on 68-3.
Knowing they desperately needed to up the run-rate Markram took aim at Chakravarthy’s in the 10th over. He launched two sixes over long on, but then mistimed the last ball of the over that should have disappeared over cow corner, only to be caught by Ramandeep Singh with the score 84-4 at the halfway stage.
Three tight overs saw the Proteas only pass the hundred run mark in the 13th over, before Heinrich Klaasen, 41 off 22 balls (1x4; 4x6), unleashed in the 14th, smashing Chakravarthy for three huge consecutive sixes and a four as the over went for 23 runs.
David Miller (18) had struggled to get going and after whipping a six over fine leg off Hardik Pandya in the 16th, he was stunningly caught on the boundary by Tilak Varma off the next ball as the Proteas slumped to 142-5.
That brought Jansen in and although many may have thought the game was over when Klaasen was caught by Varma off Arshdeep in the 18th over, the allrounder made it a very interesting finish with his brilliant innings.
Jansen is dismissed after a brilliant 54 off just 17 balls 👇👇
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 13, 2024
📺 Stream #SAvIND on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyR504 pic.twitter.com/O7yBiOkadX
THE VARMA SHOW
In the first innings it was all about Varma. He arrived at the crease in the first over and ended up unbeaten on 107 off 56 deliveries, during which he smoked eight fours and seven sixes while sharing a strong 107-run second-wicket stand with opener Abhishek Sharma, 50 off 25 (3x4; 2x6).
For his match-winning Maiden T20I Century, Tilak Varma is adjudged the Player of the Match 👏👏
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 13, 2024
Scorecard - https://t.co/JBwOUChxmG#TeamIndia | #SAvIND | @TilakV9 pic.twitter.com/kvVhaYwOG7
The Proteas enjoyed the perfect start to the match as Jansen’s second ball went straight through first T20 centurion Samson's defences to bowl him for a second consecutive duck.
But that was as good as it got in the powerplay for the hosts as India swiftly took charge as Varma and Sharma took centre stage.
Back-to-back sixes from Sharma off Andile Simelane in the fifth over saw 18 come off it, while another Sharma six off the final over of the powerplay from Lutho Sipamla helped add another 10 to the total, with them flying high on 70-1.
Despite the fielding restrictions being over, the carnage continued as Markram gave up 13 runs in the seventh over.
Coetzee then bowled a shocker, conceding three wides, a no ball and a six from Varma as India scored 16 to canter to 99-1.
The ninth over finally saw the breakthrough from Keshav Maharaj as Sharma first hammered him over long on for six and then knocked a single to bring up his fifty, but a few balls later came down the wicket, missed the ball and was stumped by keeper Klaasen with the score 107-2.
The wicket allowed the Proteas to fight back briefly as new batter Suryakumar Yadav (1) fell in the 10th, slicing a ball from Simelane to Jansen at deep point.
In the 13th over Varma brought up his half century with a single off Maharaj, while Pandya (18) was trapped LBW to leave them on 132-4.
Markram only conceded six runs in the 14th over after India had only managed 31 off the previous five overs, but the fireworks kicked off again in the 15th as two fours and a six from Varma off Maharaj’s last saw India add another 16 runs.
It was then the Varma show over the rest of the innings as he walloped two sixes and a four off Coetzee as 21 runs came off the 16th over, while a four from Ramandeep Singh (15) and a four from Varma that brought up his century, followed by a six helped 19 come off Sipamla in the 19th over to help them to what proved to be a winning total.
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗸 🤝 𝗧𝗼𝗻-𝘂𝗽 𝗧𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗸
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 13, 2024
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/JBwOUChxmG#TeamIndia | #SAvIND | @TilakV9 pic.twitter.com/lFlaJc4AdY
SOUTH AFRICA: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla
INDIA: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy