It was an absolutely dominant batting display by India as they overpowered South Africa in Durban. Sanju Samson stole the show, becoming the first Indian and fourth player overall to hit consecutive T20 centuries. India’s 200+ total, the highest of the year, gave them a crucial 1-0 lead in the series.
Samson’s 47-ball century, the fastest by an Indian against South Africa, was a masterclass in power hitting. His six-hitting display left the cricketing world spellbound. Batting first, India put up a massive total thanks to their strong batting performance.
The opening partnership between Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma laid the foundation with a 24-run stand. Samson then combined with Suryakumar Yadav for a quickfire 66 runs off just 37 balls. The highlight of the innings was the mammoth 77-run partnership between Samson and Tilak Varma in just 34 balls. Varma played a brilliant cameo, scoring 33 runs off 18 balls with a strike rate of 183.33.
Sanju Samson was the undisputed star of the batting show. He scored a scintillating 107 runs off just 47 balls, boasting a phenomenal strike rate of 214. His knock included seven boundaries and a staggering 10 sixes, propelling India to a mammoth total of 202-8.
Gerald Coetzee was the only bright spark in South Africa’s bowling attack, claiming three wickets. However, their batting approach left much to be desired. They lost their first wicket for just 8 runs, with Heinrich Klaasen being the only batsman to reach double digits with a score of 25 runs.
Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi spearheaded India’s bowling attack, dismantling the South African batting order like a house of cards. They picked up three wickets each, well supported by Avesh Khan, who bagged two crucial wickets. Bishnoi’s clever bowling lured Patrick Kruger into a false shot, resulting in his dismissal at point.
Only Coetzee showed some resistance, going for broke against Hardik Pandya with two big sixes in an over. However, Avesh Khan wrapped up the game by dismissing Keshav Maharaj in the 18th over.
This was a truly dominant performance by India, with Sanju Samson leading the way with his back-to-back hundreds. The combination of charismatic batting and sharp bowling secured a massive victory for India.
