Proteas

The hosts headed into the encounter in Cuttack trailing 1-nil in a five-match T20 series. Batting first, India lost the wicket of opener Ruturaj Gaikwad who ...

The home side would eventually reach 148 for the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs. The hosts headed into the encounter in Cuttack trailing 1-nil in a five-match T20 series. MUMBAI - The Proteas are closing in on a T20 Series victory in India after yet another successful run chase.

Heinrich Klaasen scored 81 off 46 balls as the Proteas beat India in the second T20I to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

The Proteas maintained their stranglehold from that moment on with wickets falling at regular intervals. Bhuvuneshwar Kumar (4/13) had ripped through the Proteas’ top-order with the removal of Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius and Rassie van der Dussen when Klaasen walked to the crease. On Sunday evening in Cuttack it was Heinrich Klaasen’s chance to don the cloak.

India lost Ruturaj Gaekwad in the very first over, but Ishan Kishan (34) and Shreyas Iyer (40) raised their hopes of a big total at Barabati Stadium. Once they ...

“Klaasen’s was a top knock,” Miller said. Klaasen, selected after wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock sat out with a hand injury, smashed five sixes and seven fours in his incendiary knock as SA romped home with 10 balls remaining. Heinrich Klaasen capitalised on his chance selection to smash 81 off 46 balls as SA beat India by four wickets in the second T20 International in Cuttack on Sunday for a 2-0 series lead.

India have lost their second T20I against South Africa by four wickets thanks to Heinrich Klaasen's 81.

Kumar finished with impressive figures of 4-13 but it was not enough to avert their second successive defeat in the five-match series. "It is very tough to win in India, but we still have a lot of hard work still to do." Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed three wickets in the powerplay on Sunday to reduce South Africa to 3-29 in reply to India's modest total of 6-148 after the home side had been asked to bat.

South Africa outperformed India in all departments and went 2-0 up in the five-match T20I series with a comfortable four-wicket win in Cuttack on Sunday.

Pandya tried to cut, but the ball came too close to him for that, and he was bowled. They lost two more wickets, of Axar and Iyer, and could add only another 56 in the last seven overs despite Karthik’s onslaught. Earlier in the night, India had a mini-collapse in the middle overs, and were suddenly four down in the 13th over. He hit the first ball he faced to cover, but Bavuma could not hold on. Pant had already left the crease, and the ball was so far away that all he could do was hit towards off as hard as possible without reaching its line. Gaikwad, perhaps anticipating another bouncer, was late on to the shot and sliced to point. Almost to make a mockery of the sequence of bowlers, they conceded a total of nine runs, and took a wicket apiece. The five-bowlers-one-all-rounder model had worked for both Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals this season; South Africa replicated them twice in this T20I series. Karthik had to come out in the next over, and remained unbeaten on a 21-ball 30 in the end to help India reach 148/6. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose spell of 3-0-10-3 had set South Africa back in the Powerplay overs, was the most obvious choice. With Miller also hitting a six, the match was as good as over. South Africa were favourites, but a wicket would have brought India back into the match.

On a two-paced track where most of the batters struggled, Klaasen made it look ridiculously easy as he smashed seven fours and five towering sixes in his ...

Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. After the sedate start, it was Kishan (34 from 21 balls) who provided the firepower in the power play, smashing Nortje for two sixes to improve their run-rate. Harshal Patel (12 not out from nine balls) gave him good company as the duo improved the Indian run-rate stitching together 36 runs from the last three overs to give them some respite. Earlier, Indian batters found it tough to get going against some tight bowling display from South Africa to be restricted to a modest 148 for 6. Klaasen first shared a match-turning 64 run partnership from 41 balls with skipper Temba Bavuma (35) before in-form David Miller joined him in the middle. But it was not enough as they just needed three runs from the last two overs and the in-form David Miller (20 not out) completed the win to give the Proteas a commanding 2-0 lead going into the Vizag T20I on June 14.

Before gliding into the Proteas' T20 XI on the back of Quinton de Kock's wrist injury in Cuttack on Sunday, Heinrich Klaasen's previous international ...

If we could take the spinners down, then that's most of the work done." Thankfully, it was one of those days where it came off." "I knew - and I told Temba (Bavuma) - that the spinners were the guys that we needed to target," said Klaasen. Klaasen's bold plan to attack the Indian spinners was also a very clear indication of how keenly he's thinking about the game in general these days, rightly reasoning - from his vantage point behind the stumps - that South Africa's spinners were largely ineffectual on a tricky surface. - Klaasen labelled his knock as a "blessing" to "prolong my international career". - Heinrich Klaasen's match-winning effort for the Proteas in the second T20 was simply a continuation of his mindset throughout the year.

The Proteas made it two wins on the bounce and now have to win one of the remaining three matches to win the series. India are the world's top-ranked T20 side ...

Whether the Proteas play two spinners at the World Cup in Australia remains to be seen. This is self-evident, but it’s worth drawing attention to, given that the Proteas selectors have invested much faith in him. However, Parnell has returned to international cricket with a presence he lacked when he last played for the Proteas in 2017. He dismissed the dangerous Hardik Pandya, in the process of returning figures of 1-23, at an economy of just 5.75. He was solid in the first T20I, and if this form sustains, Parnell will make the World Cup squad. But they rebounded well in the second, dismissing India for 148. If he can find a way to replicate that performance standard regularly, particularly in crunch World Cup matches, the Proteas’ prospects transform considerably. He exhibits a greater enjoyment for the game than he did then. Viewed through this lens, the Proteas have done superbly. This is not without merit as an argument, but the Proteas have been clinical nonetheless. Furthermore, half the team has been inactive for nearly three months, while many picked up in the IPL auction either didn’t play at all or played very limited roles. This has to inform any appraisal of the Proteas’ performances, which have been excellent. The Proteas made it two wins on the bounce and now have to win one of the remaining three matches to win the series.

The Proteas' T20I form has been exceptional since Temba Bavuma has taken the reins, boasting 13 wins from their last 14 matches.

“I supposed the lesson just to trust in the game plan and have a clear mind regardless of what your score and balls faced is. On Thursday he came in at No 5, where he mostly batted in the recently concluded IPL season, helping his Gujarat Titans team to the title. While on Sunday, with three wickets falling early, Miller came in a bit later at No 6. Throughout this time, the bowling department just keeps getting better, boasting a well-balanced attack covering all bases. With De Kock injured, Heinrich Klaasen came into the side to keep wicket and bat at No 5. Barring injury, skipper Bavuma and de Kock are the current opening pair for the foreseeable future. I was a bit slow, about 30 off 30 balls but I always knew if I can get one or two away that the momentum would shift,” said Van der Dussen after the first T20I. The first two matches of the five-game series have been wildly different. The other was when the potential of the T20I batting unit showed itself for the first time. “David, we can use him at five or six. However, in the tour to India so far, one of the leading T20I teams in the world — albeit missing a few of their star players — the Proteas team is once more proving that they have the potential to challenge against the best on the batting front. With two of South Africa’s in-form T20 batters in Markram — out through Covid in the first two matches — and Quinton de Kock out in the second — through a hand injury — the writing may have looked on the wall against a strong Indian team playing at home.

The SA men's team have quietly put together one of the most impressive winning streaks in the history of T20 Internationals. Since beating the West Indies ...

Chasing a record target of 212, Van der Dussen came to the crease at 61/2 at the end of the power-play and limped to 29 off 31 balls with the required rate climbing to more than 14 runs per over despite Miller scoring at two runs per ball at the other end. The abolition of Kolpak contracts gave him a second chance and he is grabbing it not with the fearlessness of youth that tripped him up before, but with the confidence of a man who trusts his talent and now has an important perspective. “Imagine what he might have scored if he’d shown a little more urgency early on,” a former national captain asked, of nobody in particular. It compares with any of the hottest streaks of “finishing” ever. If this is true, then captain Temba Bavuma and head coach Mark Boucher have been gorging themselves with knowledge in the last 12 months. They won four out of five games in the United Arab Emirates having swept aside Ireland and Sri Lanka 3-0 before that, both away from home.