STATS HIGHLIGHTS
Follow UsUnlike the first T20I, it was a run fest in the second. India batting first posted a mammoth total of 237/3. Thanks to significant knocks from KL Rahul (57 of 28), Suryakumar Yadav (61 of 22) and Virat Kohli (49* of 28). Dinesh Karthik propelled the score with yet another cameo (17* of 7).
In reply, though South Africa lost early wickets, David Miller and Quinton de Kock kept them in the game with an unbeaten partnership of 174*. Despite Miller’s unbeaten knock of 106, South Africa lost the match and handed India the series.
India’s first series win at home against South Africa
Heading into this series, South Africa were unbeaten in India. In 2015, they had won the three-match series, in 2019, they managed to draw and earlier in 2022 (June), the timeline ended 2-2 after a wash-out in the fifth T20I.
But, in the first two matches of this series India attained an unassailable lead of 2-0 and won their first home series against South Africa in T20Is. Including the one match series against South Africa in 2006, India have won three series against Proteas and have managed to draw two.
A fighting knock by Miller
After suffering his first duck in T20Is in the first match, Miller came back strong in the second with a century. Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t enough to take South Africa over the line. Nevertheless, in his knock, Miller registered few sensational records:
-Miller with 2050 runs in T20Is, is the highest run scorer for South Africa in the format. He went past JP Duminy’s tally of 1943.
-Miller became the first batter in T20Is to have scored multiple centuries batting five or lower. His first century came against Bangladesh in 2017.
-His unbeaten knock of 106 is the highest for a batter from a full member nation, batting five or lower. Previously, Liam Livingstone against Pakistan in 2021 in Nottingham had scored 103.
-With seven sixes in this innings, Miller now has 78 sixes in T20Is when he has batted five or lower, which is the most for a batter. He went past Kieron Pollard’s tally of 75 sixes.
-Miller registered his century in just 46 balls. In T20Is, among the six batters who have scored a century against India, his century today was the fastest.
-He became the fifth batter In T20Is to score a century in the second innings in a losing cause.
Unstoppable Suryakumar
When a batter is in rich form, records tend to follow them. The same has been with Surya. In his knock off 61, Surya broke few records and here is a list of those:
-When he reached 24, Surya became the fastest batter to the landmark of 1000 runs in terms of balls. He achieved this feat 31 balls quicker than Glenn Maxwell.
-In terms of innings, only Kohli (27) and Rahul (29), were quicker than Surya (31) among Indians.
-With his fifth six of the innings, Surya became the first batter to hit 50 sixes in a calendar year.
-He registered a half-century in just 18 balls, which is the joint second fastest for an Indian in T20Is. This is also the fastest for an Indian against South Africa.
-Surya ended his innings at a strike rate of 277.3. Among Indians who have scored 50+ runs in an innings, only Yuvraj Singh in his monumental knock against England in 2007 had a higher strike rate (362.5).
-This was Surya’s seventh 50+ score in the year 2022. Among Indians, this is the joint most 50+ scores in a calendar year of the format. Virat Kohli in 2016 also had seven.
-Among 125 batters who have batted 15+ innings a calendar year, Surya (185.3) is the only batter to have a strike rate of over 180. The next best is Aaron Finch (531 runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of 176.4) in 2018.
A dashing partnership
India got a platform from their openers after Rohit Sharma and Rahul hoisted a 96-run partnership. But, it was the blazing partnership between Kohli and Surya that helped India register a mammoth total.
The 100-run partnership between Kohli and Surya for the third wicket came off just 41 balls, which is the fastest for India. Their 102-run partnership ended at a run rate of 15.3. This is the best run rate in a 100-run partnership between a pair for India in T20Is.
A massive partnership in vain
It’s a shame that the biggest partnership for South Africa in T20Is came in a loss. Miller and de Kock hoisted an unbeaten partnership of 174 for the fourth wicket, their biggest in T20Is. Also, this is the highest partnership against India in T20Is. Previously, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s partnership of 152 in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held the record.
Adding further, this was the best ever partnership in T20Is between a pair for the fourth or lower wicket. Now salt to the injury, this is also the biggest partnership in a losing cause.
FEW OTHER STATS
India’s total of 237/3, is the highest total against South Africa in T20Is. West Indies in 2015 in Johannesburg, had scored 236/6, the highest then.
Before Surya registered an 18-ball half-century, Rahul for a brief time, had the fastest half-century for an Indian against South Africa. He had a 24-ball 50, two balls quicker than Dinesh Karthik’s feat earlier in 2022.
In this innings, Indian batters hit 25 fours, which is the most for them in an innings. Previously, against New Zealand in 2007 and England in 2022, they had hit 23 fours.
Harshal Patel conceded 40+ runs for the sixth time in 2022, the joint-most by a bowler in a calendar year. The other two, Mark Adair of Ireland, and Jason Holder of West Indies, also suffered this in 2022.
Arshdeep Singh conceded 62 runs in his four-over spell, which is the most for him in all T20s. In T20Is, only Yuzvendra Chahal against the same team in 2018, had conceded more runs (0/64).
Temba Bavuma suffered a seven-ball duck, which is the longest for a South African batter in T20Is.
India in the last five overs of their innings, scored 82 runs. Only against the West Indies earlier this year, they had scored more runs (86).
In this match, 160 runs were scored in the last five overs of the match (both innings), the highest aggregate in the slog overs of a T20 match.
