Varun's fifer in vain, Stubbs scripts a sensational chase

South Africa level series 1-1, beating India by three wickets in the second T20I at Gqeberha

- Somshuvra Laha

Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller off consecutive deliveries to complete a scintillating five-wicket haul – 5/17, his first in T20Is – but Tristan Stubbs countered that setback with a measured 41-ball 47* that guided South Africa to a three-wicket win in the second T20I at Gqeberha on Sunday, to level the four-match series 1-1.

Put into bat, India lost wickets at regular intervals but Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 39 took them to a score (124/6) that South Africa found themselves reduced to 86/7 chasing before Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee (19* off 9 balls) combined to add 42 runs to complete a superb win.

When Klaasen came to bat, South Africa were four wickets down but still looking at an extremely gettable asking rate of 7.37. Two balls old, Klaasen decided to attack Chakravarthy though. It was a tossed-up delivery alright but Klaasen didn't get enough bat under it, giving a simple catch to Rinku Singh at long-off. Next ball, Chakravarthy went around the wicket and darted in a length ball that pitched and straightened to beat David Miller's hesitant push. Off-stump knocked back, Miller trudged back as India started sensing a possible win.