India makes a comeback to level the T20I series against South Africa: Player ratings for the Visitors
The three-match T20I series between South Africa and India was full of ups and downs as all the matches had different results.
The first match between the two Nations got washed out without a ball bowled at the Kingsmead Stadium Cricket Ground. The second match of the series took place at Saint George’s Park which was won by the hosts by five wickets via the DLS method.
In the third match, Aiden Markram’s side had an opportunity to seal the series. However, the Men in Blue didn’t let the Proteas stand a chance of winning against them. With the help of a spectacular ton from Suryakumar Yadav and a five-wicket haul from Kuldeep Yadav, India recorded a comfortable victory as the series ended 1-1.
Hence, without further delay, let’s take a look at the report card of the Indian players for the three-match series.
Top Order
Yashasvi Jaiswal (6/10): Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed by Marco Jansen in the first over of the second T20I for a duck. However, Jaiswal made his comeback in the third match by scoring a half-century and giving the Men in Blue a stable start. The Rajasthan Royals batter scored 60 runs off 41 deliveries against the Proteas in the third T20I.
Shubman Gill (1/10): Just like Jaiswal, Shubham Gill also had a bad day at Saint George’s Park as he had to head back to the pavilion for a duck after being dismissed by Lizaad Williams. Gill failed to score decent runs in the third T20I too as he was dismissed early by Keshav Maharaj at the score of 8 runs.
Tilak Varma (3/10): After two early dismissals, Tilak Varma had the opportunity to lead the Indian team from the front in the second T20I. He started strong by hitting a couple of fours and a six but the left-handed batter lost his wicket in the powerplay against Gerald Coetzee at the score of 29.
In the third T20I, Varma got out for a golden duck. Varma also got the opportunity to bowl an over in the last match, where he conceded four runs.
Middle Order
Suryakumar Yadav scored a total of 156 runs in two innings against South Africa
Suryakumar Yadav (10/10): The Indian captain had a stellar series. Suryakumar Yadav ended the series as the highest run scorer with 156 runs. In the second T20I, he built a partnership with Rinku Singh by scoring 56 runs off 36 deliveries with the help of five fours and three sixes.
In the third T20I, Suryakumar scored a ton in 56 balls before he lost his wicket in Williams’ last over.
Rinku Singh (8/10): Rinku Singh has emerged as an absolute finisher for the Men in Blue in recent matches. In the second T20I, he played a 68-run knock in only 39 deliveries, where he smashed nine fours and two sixes. Singh’s knock also played a major role in guiding India towards a total of 180 runs.
In the third T20I, the left-handed batter only managed to hit a single six as he was dismissed early by Nandre Burger in the 18th over.
Jitesh Sharma (2/10): In the second T20I, Jitesh Sharma had the opportunity to score a few big shots in the last couple of overs but he failed to settle his feet and was sent to the pavilion by South African skipper Aiden Markram. Similarly, in the third T20I, Sharma went back to the pavilion for a score of 4 runs after he got out by hit wicket in the last over of the Indian innings.
Ravindra Jadeja (6/10): Ravindra Jadeja supported the team in batting as he scored 19 runs off 14 deliveries in the second T20I. In bowling, Jadeja failed to present a threat to the Proteas as he conceded 28 runs in almost three overs.
In the last match, Jadeja got run out, scoring four runs but he took the important wickets of Markram and Andile Phehlukwayo, leaking 25 runs in three overs with the ball in hand.
Bowlers
Arshdeep Singh (2/10): Arshdeep Singh was brutally targetted by South African batters as he conceded 31 runs in just two overs and also failed to take a wicket in the second T20I. After a nightmare spell at Saint George’s Park, Arshdeep got a wicket in the third T20I dismissing Heinrich Klaasen.
Mohammad Siraj (6/10): The right-arm fast bowler took the wicket of Klaasen in the second T20I. In addition to that, he also took the catches of David Miller and Markram in the same match. Siraj failed to pick up a wicket in the third T20I but he bowled a maiden over and conceded only 13 runs in his three-over spell.
Mukesh Kumar (5/10): After picking up two wickets in the second T20I, Mukesh Kumar successfully dismissed Matthew Breetzke in the last T20I. However, in both games, his economy rate was greater than 10, which can be a factor of concern for the Men in Blue.
Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling figures in the last match were 5/17
Kuldeep Yadav (9/10): Kuldeep Yadav was India’s most economical as well as most successful bowler in the whole series. In the second T20I, he took the wicket of Reeza Hendricks and his economy rate was less than nine.
Nevertheless, Kuldeep was in his own lane against the Proteas in the third T20I. The Chinaman took five wickets and destroyed the South African batting line-up, guiding the Men in Blue to a 106-run victory.