India vs South Africa: Hosts Hold The Advantage Over Proteas in T20Is
India and South Africa have played eight T20Is in the last nine years and the hosts hold a 6-2 advantage. Here is a look at the top five T20I clashes between these two sides.
South Africa is a quality T20 side but interestingly India have dominated the Proteas in this format, winning 6 out of the 8 matches played between them. Here are the top 5 T-20 games played between the two sides.
1.India beat SA by 37 runs, 2007 T20 World Cup at Durban (South Africa Ready to Unleash Pace Attack on India)
India needed to beat South Africa by a huge margin to qualify for the semi-final of the 2007 inaugural T20 World Cup. Opting to bat first, India got off to a terrible start losing 4 wickets for 61 runs. But Rohit Sharma and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni shared an 85-run partnership that took India to a respectable total of 153/5 in 20 overs. Rohit scored 50 off 40 balls and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored a 33-ball 45. In reply, the hosts could only score 116 for 9 in 20 overs, losing the match by 37 runs as India not only qualified for the semi-finals and also knocked them out of competition. Left-arm pacer RP Singh wreaked havoc with a fine bowling performance of 4/13.
2.India beat SA by 6 wickets, Johannesburg 2006 (Playing IPL Has Helped South Africa: Faf du Plessis)
Team India played their 1st T20 international match against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006. India's bowling attack, spearheaded by Zaheer Khan, restricted the famed South African batting line-up for 126/9 in 20 overs. Zaheer and Ajit Agarkar took 2 wickets each. In reply, Dinesh Mongia's 38 and skipper Virender Sehwag's 29-ball 34 took India close to victory and Dinesh Karthiks's unbeaten 28-ball 31 helped India chase down the target of 127 with the loss of 4 wickets, guiding them to a six-wicket win.
3. India beat SA by 1 run, 2012 T20 World Cup in Colombo
India once again got off to a poor start losing their top batsmen with just 68 runs on the board. Suresh Raina's 34-ball 45 and skipper MS Dhoni's 13-ball 23 helped India put up a respectable total of 152. In reply, South Africa got off to a terrible start losing the first 3 wickets for just 46. Faf du Plessis pulled things back for South Africa scoring 38-ball 65 to take South Africa within touching distance. They needed 14 to win off the final over and Albie Morkel started the over with a six of the first ball. However, Laxmipathy Balaji got him out in the next ball. With eight needed off three balls, Morne Morkel struck a towering six as South Africa needed 2 off 2 balls but it was Balaji who had the last laugh when he bowled Morne as India registered their narrowest T20 win by one run. Zaheer and Balaji were the stars in this T20 match. ÂÂ
4. South Africa beat India by 11 runs, Johannesburg 2012
A year later in Johannesburg, Colin Ingram's 50-ball 78 and Jacques Kallis' 42-ball 61 helped South Africa notch up a massive 219 in 20 overs. In reply the men in blue responded strongly scoring 71 in 7.5 overs courtesy some brilliant batting by Gautam Gambhir who scored 49 off just 28 balls. But rain ruined India's chances and South Africa were declared winners by 11 runs by the Duckworth-Lewis method.
5.India beat SA by 21 runs in 2011 T20 at Durban
In the only T20 match of the India's tour of South Africa, Rohit Sharma's 34-ball 53 and Suresh Raina's 23-ball 41 helped India notch up 168 in 20 overs. Indian bowlers ensured that the advantage was maintained by bowling some tight lines and South Africa were restricted to 147/9. Makhaya Ntini, who was playing in his last international match, was denied a winning farewell.