India tear stampede through South Africa as records galore at the Bullring

An all-round masterclass from Team India saw them raze through a hapless South Africa in the Bull Ring as India clinched the four-match T20I series by a staggering 3-1 margin. Winning the toss, India opted to bat first and the fireworks started flying early on.

Abhishek Sharma (36) took charge while his opening partner, Sanju Samson had other plans in his mind. The duo added 73 runs from just 35 balls before Lutho Sipamla dismissed the young southpaw. However, the fall of Sharma was simply the beginning of the end for the Proteas. An incoming Tilak Varma clubbed, clobbered and bludgeoned the hosts into every nook and cranny of the park.

Samson hammered his second century of the series, staying unbeaten for 109 from just 56 balls, blasting six fours and nine sixes. Tilak Varma stayed unbeaten for 120 from just 47 balls, rocking nine fours and 10 sixes. The duo added 210 runs for the second wicket from 85 balls, rewriting the history books of T20I cricket. At the end of the full-blown explosion, India managed to tot up 283/1 which was the Men in Blue’s second highest T20I total while the partnership between Samson and Varma is the highest Indian partnership for any wicket in T20Is.

Chasing 284, South Africa was jolted to an extremely rude awakening as Arshdeep Singh’s early tempest blew away the Proteas. Singh’s triple strike claimed Reeza Hendricks (0), Aiden Markram (8) and Heinrich Klaasen (0). Arshdeep was also joined by Hardik Pandya as he removed Ryan Rickelton (1), reducing South Africa to 10/4.

David Miller (36) and Tristan Stubbs (43) did join hands, helping South Africa to avert a humiliating collapse as the duo added 86 runs for the fifth wicket. It was eventually Varun Chakravarthy who rattled the partnership and forced open the floodgates. Stubbs was the next one to fall and Ravi Bishnoi joined the party too.

From thereon all that South Africa could do was ride high on the shoulders of Marco Jansen’s valiant fight but it wasn’t enough. He stayed unbeaten for 29 from just 12 balls but there was hardly any support from the other end. South Africa got skittled out for 148, allowing India to register a staggering 135-run win.