India vs South Africa 2nd Twenty20 International Highlights: JP Duminy Helps Proteas To Six-Wicket Win, Gives Them Unbeatable 2-0 Lead in Series
India were bowled out for their second-lowest score in T20Is. However, an unruly incident marred what was a total South African domination. Relive all the moments here.
South Africa have sealed a magnificent series win. With one more game to go in Kolkata, the visitors will be aiming for a clean sweep. However, this match has seen total domination from them with both bat and ball. The major talking point will be the crowd trouble that flared up. Relive all the highlights here (SCORECARD)
23:00 hrs IST: Here are some of the quotes from the captains and the Man of the Match
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: You get performances like these, what's important is how you bounce back.
Faf du Plessis: We are really proud of Albie Morkel for playing that many games, he was really clever with his lines. I thought there was great variety in those first six overs. I'm not sure Imran Tahir's ever bowled in the first six.
Albie Morkel is the Man of the Match for his haul of 3/12 in four overs. It is his first game in nearly 18 months.
Albie Morkel: I'm just happy to have played a small part in the series win. Fielding plays a massive role in T20 cricket. We got two of their big guns with two fantastic run-outs. We got wickets anyway, but throw in those run-outs, and that really put us on top.
22:48 hrs IST: South Africa have bossed the game from the start. The bowling, led by Albie Morkel and Imran Tahir, ran through the Indian batting and bowled them out for 92, their second-lowest total in T20Is. South Africa were never under pressure and despite an inspired spell of bowling from R Ashwin, who took 3/24, the visitors were never troubled and they cantered home to a six-wicket win. However, this match will be remembered for the crowd trouble that erupted and interrupted the match twice. These incidents will hurt Indian cricket's reputation.
22:45 hrs IST: South Africa have sealed a comprehensive victory over India and have taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. JP Duminy once again the star and his unbeaten 30 has ensured South Africa have clinched their first-ever series win in a limited overs series in India.
22:34 hrs IST: Axar Patel strikes and there is a muted celebration. Farhaan Behardien LBW Axar Patel 11 (18).
Axar slides in the arm ball and Behardien makes the mistake of playing back. He gets rapped on the pads and umpire Shashuddin has no hesitation in giving him out. South Africa 76/3 in 14.3 overs, needing 17 more for victory. (CATCH ALL THE LIVE UPDATES HERE)
22:28 hrs IST: Play will once again resume with no reduction in overs. Come to think off it, almost an hour of play has been lost but there is no revised target or overs lost. The players are out in the middle. One would be hoping that there are not more interruptions
22:24hrs IST: One wonders how did security personnel allow people to carry bottles in the ground. In most cricket grounds in India, bottles are not allowed. If anybody wants to have a drink, it is given in the form of paper cups.
22:19 hrs IST: Some news emerging that the match officials are trying to get the match started. They are trying to remove the troublesome part of the crowd and they will be trying their best to get some action in Cuttack.
22:15 hrs IST: Chris Broad and Faf du Plessis were having a discussion with the umpires and the ground-staff. No one from the Indian team came out to the ground.
22:10 hrs IST: One feels that this could be the match. Most of the fans are walking away. This is a sad situation. Just because of some mischief by a certain number of fans, the thousands at the venue have been deprived of their entertainment. Still awaiting official confirmation whether the match has been called off.
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22:08 hrs IST: Further crowd trouble has forced the players to go off the field in Cuttack. This could well be the match. South Africa are 15 runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score. They are 70/3 in 13 overs.
22:04 hrs IST: Sunil Gavaskar is absolutely lambasting the Police personnel at the stadium. He is saying that the police are just watching the match and are not doing their job of controlling the crowd.
22:00 hrs IST: The crowd trouble has been sorted out and we are all set to go in Cuttack. No revised target for South Africa. The interruption lasted for only 20 minutes. However, sad scenes in Cuttack and this does not help Indian cricket's reputation one bit.
21:56 hrs IST: The Police are moving into action and they are doing their best to ensure the situation gets back to normal. However, some odd bottles are still being hurled.
21:52 hrs IST: South Africa are 17 runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis Par score. If the match gets abandoned now, South Africa will be declared as the winners. They are 64/3 in 11 overs.
21:47 hrs IST: The players are relaxed in the middle as the ground staff clear the ground of the bottles. Sad scenes.
21: 43 hrs IST: Crowd trouble has halted the match in Cuttack. The crowd are hurling bottles onto the pitch and the match has been halted. Sad scenes and this will not do their reputation any good.
21:33 hrs IST: JP Duminy is once again steadying the ship with Farhaan Behardien. They need 30 runs in nine overs. India would have hoped that Ashwin bowled 10 overs in a T20 match!
21:25 hrs IST: South Africa are still very much on top. However, this spell from R Ashwin will give them a glimpse of what they can expect ahead of this long tour.
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21:21 hrs IST: R Ashwin gets the massive wicket of AB de Villiers for the second time in this series. Ashwin floats a slower delivery outside off and de Villiers is totally flummoxed by the change of pace. He plays all around the delivery and the ball hits the off stump. De Villiers falls for 19 and South Africa are 49/3 in eight overs.
21:09 hrs IST: R Ashwin strikes again. Faf du Plessis goes in the quest for quick runs.
Du Plessis was already laying into Ashwin by smashing him for a four and a six. Ashwin comes round the wicket and bowls a flighted delivery, du Plessis comes down the track but he mistimes it to mid-off, Mohit Sharma runs back and takes the catch over his head. Du Plessis goes for 16 and South Africa are 38/2 in the sixth over.
21:03 hrs IST: South Africa are once again content to play out Ashwin but Harbhajan is not causing them much concern. His comeback is so far turning out to be a damp squib. South Africa are 25/1 after 5 overs.
20:56 hrs IST: R Ashwin strikes. India are looking to fight here. Hashim Amla c Rohit Sharma b R Ashwin 2 (3).
Amla attempts to flick a flighted ball on leg stump but he mistimes it and Rohit Sharma takes a juggling catch at leg slip. Will it be possible?
20:50 hrs IST: Poor start from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. AB de Villiers smashes him for two fours. South Africa get off to a flying start in pursuit of 93.
20:41 hrs IST: Abject, woeful and pathetic. These three things sum up India's performance with the bat. The highest score was a pair of 22's from Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina. The rest of the top order floundered under some wonderful bowling from Albie Morkel and Imran Tahir. It has been a sensational comeback for Morkel, who last played a T20I for South Africa a year and a half back. His haul of 3/12 and good efforts from Tahir and Chris Morris have bowled India out for 92, which is their lowest score against South Africa.
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20:38 hrs IST: Ashwin looks to slog and is cleaned up by Chris Morris for 11. India are bowled out for 92, which is their second lowest total in T20I history. Their previous lowest was 74 against Australia in Melbourne in 2008.
20:33 hrs IST: India are staring at their lowest T20I total against South Africa. They have been bowled out for under 100 only once and that was 74 against Australia in Melbourne in 2008.
20:25 hrs IST: Another double strike and India are on the verge of getting bowled out for their lowest total in T20Is against South Africa. Axar Patel flicks it to mid wicket and he falls for 9 while Bhuvneshwar Kumar looks to drive but misses a straight delivery.
20:15 hrs IST: Can India bat the full 20 overs. The onus is on R Ashwin and Axar Patel to contribute and bat for as long as possible. However, South Africa are going for the kill.
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20:07 hrs IST: Double strike from Imran Tahir and India are in a lot of trouble. Suresh Raina goes for 22 and Harbhajan is cleaned up first ball.
Raina looks to drive a flighted delivery but finds Hashim Amla at short cover. Next ball, Harbhajan plays all around a googly and is cleaned up. R Ashwin negotiates the hat-trick ball but India now need a miracle.
19:59 hrs IST: Close call and the third umpire is being called for. MS Dhoni is OUT for 5! Once again, under dodgy umpiring circumstances.
Poor shot from Dhoni as he reaches out and cuts a wide delivery to the keeper, the ball seemed to have bounced in front of AB de Villiers but the third umpire gives it out.
19:51 hrs IST: Suresh Raina breaks the shackles by smashing two consecutive boundaries off Abbott. The onus is on both him and Captain Cool MS Dhoni to help India get to a good platform.
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19:46 hrs IST: Full toss yields a wicket! Ambati Rayudu b Rabada 0 (2).
Bad ball from Rabada but it does not matter. 88.7 mph full toss from the pacy South African bowler. Rayudu swings across the line and the ball knocks the leg stump out. India in deep trouble at 45/4 in the ninth over.
19:42 hrs IST: Suicidal run from Rohit and he is found short of the crease. Rohit Sharma run out 22 (24).
Rohit taps it to point and he decides to take a quick single. However, David Miller swoops in and fires a good throw at the bowler's end. He scores a direct hit and Rohit is short of the crease.
19:36 hrs IST: Huge appeal for an LBW plus a catch but the umpire is unmoved. Rabada spears the yorker on leg stump and Raina tries to dig it out. However, he gets hit on the pad and the ball just misses the leg stump. AB de Villiers appeals for the catch but to no avail. Close call for Raina.
19:33 hrs IST: Kagiso Rabada is unleashing the short pitched bowling on Suresh Raina but is line is all over the place. The ploy is pretty clear though from South Africa.
19:26 hrs IST: Another wicket! Unbelievable. Virat Kohli is run-out for 1 and once again Rohit Sharma is involved in it. Kohli tries to go for the second but is caught short of the crease. There was some hesitation when he wanted to take the second and it has cost him.
19:24 hrs IST: WICKET! Chris Morris strikes in his first over. Shikhar Dhawan LBW Morris 11 (12).
Dhawan moves to the off side and looks to flick a length delivery to the on side but he misses and is hit on the pad. Good decision from the umpire as it would have hit middle and off.
19:18 hrs IST: Erratic start from Chris Morris. He strays onto the pads and Rohit Sharma effortlessly flicks him to fine leg. Rohit has moved quickly to 15 and India are 24/0 in the fourth over.
19:12 hrs IST: A short spell from Abbott. Kagiso Rabada comes into the attack. South Africa are looking to rotate their bowlers around.
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19:08 hrs IST: Yikes! Rohit Sharma has just seen a spitting Cobra from the deck. Tahir lands this legbreak on a good length and it hits the crack, it leaps up from the surface and it knocks Rohit's bat out of his hands. The batsman and the bowler are both bemused. Sign of things to come.
19:06 hrs IST: Spin in the second over! Imran Tahir into the attack. With dew around, it could be a good idea to utilise Tahir's legspin during the powerplay.
19:03 hrs IST: OUCH! Rohit is in some trouble here. Dhawan thought about a quick single but he sends Rohit back. Faf du Plessis fires the throw and it hits Rohti flush on the right forearm. He is in pain and he has taken the glove off. However, he seems to be alright.
19:01 hrs IST: Poor ball from Abbott and Rohit is away in grand style. Short and wide, Rohit angles the bat face and glides it to square third man as India get off the mark with a boundary.
19:00 hrs IST: All set to kick off in Cuttack. Kyle Abbott, who was impressive in the first T20I, will open the bowling. Rohit Sharma will be on strike. Two slips in place.
18:35 hrs IST: So, Axar Patel hangs on to his place despite conceding 45 runs of his four overs in the first T20I. Sreenath Aravind, who had a poor debut, loses his place. Here are the teams:
India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma
South Africa (Playing XI): Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers(w), Faf du Plessis(c), Jean-Paul Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, David Miller, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott, Albie Morkel, Imran Tahir
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18:30 hrs IST: Faf du Plessis has won the toss for the second time and he will bowl first. Albie Morkel has replaced Marchant de Lange in the South African team while for India, Harbhajan Singh comes in place of Sreenath Aravind.
18:24 hrs IST: Harbhajan Singh is warming up with intent. Signs are that he could play in this match. Toss is just five minutes away.
18:14 hrs IST: Pitch report: Plenty of cracks and the spinners will be relishing this deck. The ball will keep low and with the dew factor present, it will be interesting to see what the captains do if they win the toss.
18:08 hrs IST: Both teams will be keeping a look at the weather. It has been raining in Cuttack prior to the match and both teams will be hoping that the rain stays away. Remember, Cuttack has been on the receiving end of wash-outs for quiet some time. The ODI between Australia and India was washed out in 2013 well in advance due to rain.
18:07 hrs IST: Heading into the match, there is plenty of talk about India's team composition. Sunil Gavaskar has said Harbhajan Singh should feature in this match. He states that his experience will be vital for India. Will Amit Mishra come into the side?
18:05 hrs IST: It is do-or-die time for India in the second Twenty20 international against South Africa in Cuttack. Rohit Sharma's amazing century was cancelled out by JP Duminy's magnificent 68 as South Africa won a high-scoring encounter by seven wickets. Heading into the match, Rohit has said that India are stronger after the defeat and they will come hard at South Africa.
What is a winning score in Twenty20 cricket? In a sport where players continue to push the boundaries, Cuttack's Barabati could see a run feast as India aim to arrest their four-match losing streak in Twenty20 internationals and level the three-match series against South Africa. The third T20I will be played in Kolkata on Thursday. (LIVE SCORECARD | NEWS | FEATURES)
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Preview
The seven-wicket defeat in Dharamsala exposed India's weak attack against a South African team extremely adept in the shortest format of the game. Keeping the ICC World Twenty20 early next in mind, India rightly chose to experiment with pacer Sreenath Aravind making his international debut and young Axar Patel being preferred over the experienced Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra.
Aravind leaked 44 runs in 3.4 overs while Axar bled 45 in his quota of four to hand South Africa the advantage. The inexperience in both youngsters showed clearly. Monday may not be the time to experiment. Harbhajan/Mishra and seaming all-rounder Stuart Binny will be in the frame for selection. Umpiring blunders are part of the game and even though Mahendra Singh Dhoni was upset, these can't be excuses for poor skills.
South Africa are experimenting too. AB De Villiers opened the batting and it worked well for the Proteas. Chasing 200 for a win in Dharamsala always needed a superhuman effort and De Villiers (32-ball 51) set the perfect platform for JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien to score a match-winning 105-run stand and score a thrilling victory.
Barabati has always produced good batting wickets. This will be the first Twenty20 international in Cuttack. This famous East Zone centre, not far from the Bay of Bengal, has hosted IPLs, Tests and ODIs. The weather will be demanding and there is word of rain too.
Apart from bowling tight line and length, fitness will be key. As Rohit Sharma, who in Dharamsala became India's second man after Suresh Raina to score a century in a Twenty20 internationals, said, "India will have do many things right in Cuttack."
Running between wickets will be crucial in energy-sapping conditions and on a bigger ground. In Dharamsala, South Africa and India were almost even in terms of boundaries scored, but it were the number of twos (13 compared to 4 by India) run by the batsmen that gave the Proteas the advantage.
Half of the tally was run by Behardien and JP Duminy during their unbeaten 105-run partnership, which was buoyed by good communication between the all-rounders. Duminy was in the form of his life. His 34-ball 68 not out knocked India cold and he will remain India's dangerman.
The average Twenty20 score at Barabati has been 160. But with quality batsmen on both sides, this could see a new high.