South Africa survive late collapse to win by three wickets against India

South Africa defeated India by three wickets in a thrilling encounter to level the T20I series at 1-1. Chasing a modest target of 124, South Africa were in deep trouble at 86 for 7 but a calm and composed 41-ball 47* from Tristan Stubbs, along with some valuable contributions from Gerald Coetzee (19 off 9), helped them get past the target.

Varun Chakaravarthy was the standout performer for India, picking up a career-best 5 wickets for 17 runs. Despite his brilliant spell, India's batting woes continued as they were never able to recover from early setbacks.

The match began poorly for India as they lost three quick wickets in the first four overs. Sanju Samson, fresh off two consecutive centuries, was bowled for a duck by Marco Jansen. South Africa's pacers, led by Gerald Coetzee, continued to make breakthroughs, with Coetzee dismissing Abhishek Sharma early in the innings.

India's troubles deepened when Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed LBW by Andile Simelane. At 15 for 3, things looked bleak, but Axar Patel tried to anchor the innings with two boundaries against Simelane. Tilak Varma also contributed with a six before he was dismissed for 20, caught stunningly by David Miller.

Axar Patel's innings ended when he was run out off a straight drive from Hardik Pandya. India struggled to build partnerships, and Pandya, despite his best efforts, had a slow start. He eventually found his rhythm, hitting two fours and a six, but the batting collapse continued. India's last few overs were uneventful, as they managed just six runs in the final over and Pandya was dropped twice.

South Africa’s chase started with a flurry of boundaries, but they soon found themselves in trouble, losing wickets at regular intervals. After Ryan Rickelton was dismissed early, Markram was hit on the helmet by Pandya's bouncer and was then bowled out by Chakaravarthy. Chakaravarthy continued his good work, picking up three more wickets in quick succession, including dangerous players like Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller.

With South Africa reeling at 66 for 6, the game seemed to be slipping away, but Stubbs remained calm and showed maturity. After a dismissal by Simelane, Coetzee's aggressive batting turned the game in South Africa's favor, hitting a 103-meter six off Arshdeep Singh and adding two more boundaries off Avesh Khan. Stubbs finished the job in the penultimate over, guiding South Africa to a thrilling victory.

This win ensured the T20I series was tied 1-1, setting up an exciting decider in the upcoming match.