END OF OVER:20 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | IND: 219/6 | RR: 10.95
- Axar Patel1 (1b)
- Tilak Varma107 (56b)
- Marco Jansen4-0-28-1
- Lutho Sipamla4-0-45-0
6:46pm Another whirlwind Indian innings, with a terrific Tilak Varma ton at the centre of it all. He walked in ahead of captain Suryakumar and inside the first over, but showed no signs of nerves or tentativeness. He took the attack to South Africa almost immediately and never looked back. He found an able ally in Abhishek, who notched up his fifty too and at one point, India seemed set to go well past 225.
They were pegged back a touch, with South Africa's bowlers coming to the fore through the middle. Tilak, though, paced his innings superbly and ensured that India got up to 219, which seems like a very handy total on a surface that has offered something to the spinners and to the slower balls.
As for South Africa, Jansen was the pick of the bowlers. He set the tone by removing Samson and then gave away just four off the 20th. Maharaj did his bit too and while 220 seems a steep chase, South Africa will take heart from the fact that 200-plus totals have been chased down thrice previously at SuperSport Park. Join us in a bit for the chase!
Tilak Varma: Really very happy. I was waiting for this moment for a long time. Coming after injury and scoring a hundred, it is incredible. It was challenging at the start - wicket was two-paced. After that, it went well. I tried to hold my shape and was trying to focus on the basics. We (Abhishek and me) both were under pressure and this knock was important for both of us. We talked about following the basics. Our spinners are bowling well. We were looking at 200-210, so we have a good total on the board, hoping for the win.
Here are some super stats from Sampath: Tilak Varma is second youngest Indian to score a hundred in men's T20Is, after Yashasvi Jaiswal. Tilak is the 12th batter to score a hundred for India in men's T20Is. No other team has more than six batters scoring a T20I ton for them. Tilak's hundred was also the fifth for India against South Africa in T20Is, the most by any team against an opponent.
Axar out to face the last ball
Ramandeep Singh run out 15 (11m 6b 1x4 1x6) SR: 250.00
The over-rate penalty has been imposed and SA can now have only four outside the ring
Jansen to bowl the last over. Can India nudge 230? Klaasen playing traffic cop, trying to adjust the fielders
END OF OVER:19 | 19 Runs | IND: 215/5 | RR: 11.31
- Tilak Varma106 (53b)
- Ramandeep Singh13 (4b)
- Lutho Sipamla4-0-45-0
- Andile Simelane3-0-34-2
Free hit for Tilak
