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Team India won the eighth consecutive T20 series, defeated South Africa by 30 runs in the final match.

By Samira Vishwas

Ahmedabad, 19 December. Team India delivered decisive strikes with bat and ball at the time of need and defeated South Africa by 30 runs in the fifth and final T20 match and won the series 3-1. This was the eighth consecutive T20 series in which the Indian team has won. This journey started from December 2023. With this, the more than a month long tour of Proteas ended, in which the guests had achieved a clean sweep of 2-0 against India in the Test series while the ODI series was won by the Indians by 2-1.

With the explosive fifties of Tilak and Pandya, the hosts reached 231 runs.

Surya and Company, who lost the coin toss on Friday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium, got the support of explosive half-century innings by Tilak Verma (73 runs, 42 balls, one six, 10 fours) and ‘Player of the Match’ Hardik Pandya (63 runs, 25 balls, five sixes, five fours) and a mountain-like score of 5-231 hung on the board.

Varun and Bumrah and company restricted Proteas to 201 runs.

While chasing the difficult target, opener Quinton de Kock (65 runs, 35 balls, three sixes, nine fours) tried his best to fight the match, but in front of Varun Chakraborty (4-53) and Jasprit Bumrah (2-17) and his fellow bowlers, who became the ‘Player of the Series’ by taking 10 wickets in the series, the South African team could reach 201 runs for eight wickets.

De Kock made quick half-century partnerships with Hendrix and Brewis

There is no doubt that the visiting team was in full competition in the middle of the innings, when after a partnership of 69 runs on 39 balls with opening partner Reeza Hendricks (13 runs, one four), Quinton De Kock along with Dewald Brewis (31 runs, 17 balls, two sixes, three fours) scored runs rapidly and at one time the score reached 118 runs in 10 overs. But then Jasprit Bumrah and Varun proved to be very economical and went into attack and snatched the control of the field from the hands of South Africa.

South Africa’s last 7 wickets fell within 81 runs

Bumrah broke the quick partnership of just 51 runs (23 balls) by catching Quinton De Kock on his own ball in the 11th over and then wickets started falling at regular intervals. In the next over, Pandya (1-41) returned Brevis and in the next over, Varun (5-135) bid farewell to captain Aiden Markram (six runs) and Donovan Ferreira (zero) on consecutive balls. After this, other batsmen including David Miller (18 runs, 14 balls, two fours) could only reduce the margin of defeat. The last seven wickets of the team fell at a gain of only 81 runs.

Quick partnership of 63 runs in 34 balls between Sanju and Abhishek

Earlier in the Indian innings, Sanju Samson (37 runs, 22 balls, two sixes, four fours) and Abhishek Sharma (34 runs, 21 balls, one six, six fours) made a quick partnership of 63 runs in just 34 balls. When Corbin Boch (2-44) broke the partnership by getting Abhishek caught behind the wicket, Tilak took command and along with Sanju took the score to 97 runs. Then in the 10th over, George Linde (1-46) bowled Sanju and captain Suryakumar (five runs), who was going through disappointing form, could not walk once again.

Tilak and Pandya broke 105 runs in 44 balls

But Tilak and senior partner Hardik got support and with their explosive batting they scored 105 runs in just 44 balls. Both of them were out in the last over and Shivam Dubey returned unbeaten on 10 runs (three balls, one six, one four).

score card

Pandya, who appeared to be more aggressive than Tilak during his century partnership, completed his half-century in just 16 balls, which is the second fastest half-century for India. This is the fastest fifty by an Indian batsman after Yuvraj Singh’s half-century scored in 12 balls. Yuvraj had achieved this feat against England at Kingsmead in 2007, when he hit six sixes in six balls.

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