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28 March 2024

Crowd trouble in Cuttack as Proteas win India T20 series

Published
By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies

Seamer Albie Morkel led the way with three for 12 as South Africa thumped India by six wickets in the violence-hit second Twenty20 match in Cuttack on Monday to clinch the series.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir and seamer Chris Morris chipped in with two wickets each as India were skittled for a paltry 92 after being sent in to bat on a pitch of inconsistent bounce at the Barabati stadium.

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had South Africa struggling at 49-3 after removing Hashim Amla (two), skipper Faf du Plessis (16) and danger man AB de Villiers (19) in his four-over spell.

But even two stoppages due to bottles being thrown on the field of play by disappointed Indian fans could not prevent the tourists from surpassing the modest target in 17.1 overs.

Match referee Chris Broad of England ordered match organisers to provide adequate security in the stands before the game could be resumed.

The easy win gave South Africa a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series, having won the opener by seven wickets in Dharamsala on Friday.

The final match will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.

Du Plessis saluted man-of-the-match Morkel, who was playing his 50th T20 international.

"It's an easy job to be captain when your bowlers perform like that," the skipper said. "I reckon it's the best bowling performance we have had as a T20 team.

"We are really proud of Albie shining in his 50th game. He was really clever with the lines he bowled."

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted his team "did not play good cricket".

"We did not bat well at all," he said. "It's necessary to address what went wrong. When you get performances like this, what's important is how you bounce back."

"It's difficult to judge our bowlers when you do not put up enough runs on the board. We did not play good cricket."

Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina top-scored with 22 each as India were bowled out in 17.2 overs to record their second-lowest total in T20 internationals. They had fallen for 74 against Australia in 2008.

Morkel, a late induction in the touring squad after David Wiese was ruled out with a fractured hand, struck deadly blows after replacing Marchant de Lange from the team that played in Dharamsala.

India were reduced to 30-2 by the fifth over as Shikhar Dhawan fell leg-before to Chris Morris for 11 and star batsman Virat Kohli was run out first ball while attempting a risky second run.

Sharma, who hit a century in Dharamsala, was run out by a direct throw by David Miller from point.

Ambati Rayadu failed to get off the mark for the second successive time when he was bowled second ball by young fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.

India slipped into further trouble when Dhoni was caught behind off Morkel for five to make it 67-5 in the 12th over.

Tahir, who shared the new ball with Kyle Abbott, dismissed Raina and the recalled Harbhajan Singh off consecutive deliveries in his third over, reducing India to 69-7.

The tail failed to play out the allotted overs against the sustained pressure applied by the South African bowlers.

Ashwin had Amla caught at leg-slip, forced du Plessis to hole out in the deep and bowled de Villiers with a straight ball, but none of the other bowlers worried the tourists.

JP Duminy remained unbeaten on 30, hitting the winning boundary off Suresh Raina.

After the T20 series, South Africa will play five one-day internationals and four Tests on their 10-week tour of India.

Full scoreboard:

India:


R. Sharma run out 22
S. Dhawan lbw b Morris 11
V. Kohli run out 1
S. Raina c Amla b Tahir 22
A. Rayudu b Rabada 0
M. Dhoni c de Villiers b A. Morkel 5
A. Patel c du Plessis b A. Morkel 9
H. Singh b Tahir 0
R. Ashwin b Morris 11
B. Kumar b A. Morkel 0
M. Sharma not out 0
Extras: (lb1, w9, nb1) 11
Total (all out, 17.2 overs) 92
Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Dhawan), 2-30 (Kohli), 3-43 (R. Sharma), 4-45 (Rayudu), 5-67 (Dhoni), 6-69 (Raina), 7-69 (Harbhajan), 8-85 (Patel), 9-85 (Kumar), 10-92 (Ashwin).
Bowling: Abbott 3-0-21-0 (w4, nb1), Tahir 4-0-24-2 (w1), Rabada 4-0-18-1 (w3), Morris 2.2-0-16-2 (w1), A. Morkel 4-0-12-3.

South Africa:


AB de Villiers b Ashwin 19
H. Amla c R. Sharma b Ashwin 2
F. du Plessis c M. Sharma b Ashwin 16
JP Duminy not out 30
F. Behardien lbw b Patel 11
D. Miller not out 10
Extras: (lb3, w5) 8
Total (for four wickets, 17.1 overs) 96
Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Amla), 2-38 (du Plessis), 3-49 (de Villiers), 4-76 (Behardien).
Bowling: Kumar 2-0-13-0 (w3), Ashwin 4-0-24-3, Harbhajan 4-0-20-0 (w2), M. Sharma 1-0-7-0, Raina 3.1-0-12-0, Patel 3-0-17-1.

South Africa won by six wickets
Toss: South Africa
Umpires: CK Nandan (IND) and Chettithody Shamshuddin (IND)
TV umpire: Vineet Kulkarni (IND)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

Proteas romped to a six-wicket win against India to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 series at Cuttack.

After bowling out India for the second lowest T20 total of 92, South Africa made 96-4 in 17.1 overs.

Ashwin raised India's hopes with a superb spell claiming three for 24 but Duminy remained unbeaten on 30 to steer Proteas home.

The match was suspended twice after a section of the crowd threw objects on the field when South Africa were cruising towards the target.

South Africa innings

Duminy smashes Raina for a boundary for the winning hit as South Africa win by six wickets.

After knocking the ball around for singles, Miller explodes by stepping out and lofting Patel for six. Ind 92-4, 17 overs.

Patel strikes trapping Behardien leg before. SA 76-4, 14.3 overs.

Farhan Behardien lbw b Patel 11 (18b)

Players are going off the field again because objects are being thrown on the field with South Africa 70-3 after 13 overs.

The visitors are ahead of the D/L par score of 55 after 13 overs.

Play resumes after a 27-minute delay because of crowd trouble.

Play held up as bottles are thrown onto the ground by a disgruntled section of the crowd.

Duminy glances Mohit to fine leg to pick up a boundary. SA 64-3, 11 overs.

Duminy drills a loose delivery through the covers but Ashwin castles AB de Villiers with the last delivery of his excellent speel to finish with 3-24. SA 49-3, 8 overs.

AB de Villiers b Ashwin 19 (21b 2x4 0x6)

Ashwin strikes after Faf du Plessis uses his feet to blast a boundary and six down the ground before miscuing to midoff. SA 38-2, 5.5 overs.

Faf du Plessis c Mohit Sharma b Ashwin 16 (14b 2x4 1x6) 

Faf du Plessis uses his dancing to thumps Harbhajan over his head for a boundary. SA 25-1, 5 overs.

Ashwin bowls an excellent over conceding just one run. SA 18-1, 4 overs.

Ashwin opens the attack from the other end and strikes with his final delivery with Rohit taking a catch off Amla after a juggle. SA 13-1, 2 overs.

Hashim Amla c Rohit Sharma b Ashwin 2 (3b)

AB de Villiers begins the run chase by smashing a couple of boundaries off Kumar. SA 9-0, 1 over.

India innings

Ashwin is the last man out as Morris castles as India are bowled out for 92 in 17.2 overs, their second lowest T20 total.

Ravichandran Ashwin b Morris 11 (15b 1x4 0x6)

Morkel claimed three for 12 and Morris and Tahir two wickets apiece.

Double strike by Morkel who knocks over the middle stump of Kumar. Ind 85-9, 16 overs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar b Morkel 0 (2b)

Another soft dismissal as Patel flicks to the midwicket fielder. Ind 85-8, 15.4 overs.

Axar Patel c du Plessis b Morkel 9 (12b)

Tahir stuns the large crowd by castling Harbhajan for a golden duck with a googly to be on hat-trick which is denied by Ashwin who hits a lovey boundary to open his account. Ind 69-7, 12.4 overs.

Harbhajan Singh b Imran Tahir 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) 

India are in deep trouble as Raina departs driving Tahir straight to cover point. Ind 69-6, 12.3 overs.

Suresh Raina c Amla b Imran Tahir 22 (24b 3x4 0x6)

AB de Villiers scoops an edge low down to send Dhoni back to the pavilion. Ind 67-5, 11.4 overs.

MS Dhoni c de Villiers b Morkel 5 (8b)

Raina carves a full toss from Tahir past backward point for another boundary. Ind 65-4, 11 overs.

Raina cracks a couple of boundaries off Abbott. Ind 58-4, 10 overs.

Rabada strikes as Rayudu swings and misses a full toss to see his leg stump uprooted. Ind 45-4, 8.3 overs.

Ambati Rayudu b Rabada 0 (2b)

South Africa are brilliant on the field as Miller catches Rohit short of the crease with a direct hit. India 43-3, 7.5 overs.

Rohit Sharma run out 22 (24b 2x4 0x6)

Kohli is livid and walks after falling short responding to Rohit's call for a second run a bit late. Ind 30-2, 4.2 overs.

Virat Kohli run out 1 (1b)

Morris is smashed for a couple of boundaries but traps Dhawan leg before as the batsman tries to whip him off his toes. Ind 28-1, 4 overs.

Shikhar Dhawan lbw b Morris 11 (12b 2x4 0x6)

Dhawan edges Tahir past the keeper to third man for a boundary. Ind 12-0, 2 overs.

Rohit hits the first boundary of the match swinging a short ball from Abbott to backward square leg. Ind 6-0, 1 over.

Faf du Plessis has won the toss and opted to bowl first in the second T20 against India.

India have made one change with veteran Harbhajan Singh replacing Aravind.

For South Africa, Albie Morkel comes in for Marchant de Lange.

Teams

India:
RG Sharma, S Dhawan, V Kohli, SK Raina, MS Dhoni, AT Rayudu, AR Patel, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, B Kumar, MM Sharma

South Africa: HM Amla, AB de Villiers, F du Plessis, JP Duminy, DA Miller, F Behardien, JA Morkel, CH Morris, K Rabada, KJ Abbott, Imran Tahir

Preview

South Africa will have to contend with a backlash from India when they face off in the second Twenty20 international at Cuttack on Monday.

This will be the first T20 international played in Cuttack which has hosted two Tests and 17 ODIs.

Indian opener Rohit Sharma on Sunday said they are determined to bounce back and stay alive in the three-match series.

Sharma’s sublime 66-ball 106 went in vain as the Proteas pulled off a thrilling victory in Friday’s match at Dharamsala, thanks largely to JP Duminy‘s unbeaten 34-ball 68.

"It was a good knock but we lost the game. I am pretty disappointed, it was unfortunate. No matter how much you scored, if you don't win, your efforts are not counted, nothing really matters to me," said Sharma expressing his disappointment that his maiden T20 international century went in vain.

"I'm sure we will come back strong. Overall, there's a room for improvement, I'm sure the guys have learnt from it and they will come back stronger. We have to do a lot of things right whether it's batting or bowling, and come out all guns blazing," he said at press conference on the eve of the match at Barabati Stadium.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel conceded 22 runs in the 16th over to turn the tide for Proteas but Rohit backed their young bowlers.

"I know they're not too experienced but it's the same with the South African attack. But when you play these kind of tournaments, you grow as a cricketer," he said.

Duminy's decisive innings in the first T20 International here on Friday won the game for South Africa, but the two LBW shouts which the batsman survived left India skipper MS Dhoni livid after the game.

"We did not have quite a few umpiring decisions going our way and sometimes these can change the entire match. If we could have got Duminy early or even in the 17th over, when Bhuvi bowled that brilliant yorker, it could have been different. Duminy played brilliant cricket from there on," Dhoni said after the game.

Even though it was Duminy whose exploits turned out to be the difference between the two sides, the base of the chase was wonderfully set up by Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, who put up 77 for the opening wicket.

Duminy, South Africa's leading run-getter in T20Is, acknowledged that they were aware of the start being important.

"The start was very crucial for us. We knew that for chasing down a big total, we needed to start well. The key for us was that we didn't lose wickets in the first six overs. The way AB (de Villiers) and Hash (Amla) played was incredible," added Duminy.

With next year's World Twenty20 in India in mind, South Africa are experimenting with AB de Villiers' batting position by giving him the role of an opener in the current series, Farhaan Behardien said on Sunday.

De Villiers opened the innings in Dharamsala and scored 51 off 42 balls.

Behardien believes Duminy's experience in the IPL helped him remain calm during the chase featuring in a 105-run partnership which sealed victory with two balls to spare.

"He has been here so many times, he is the captain of Delhi (Daredevils) in the IPL. I have learnt a lot from David Millers and AB de Villiers as well. Before coming to India, I personally did a lot of work my coach Rob Walter (at Titans), played a lot of spin. We looked how to work in the middle overs of the T20, India generally bowls a lot of spin in that particular period. It was nice to stay calm, and JP had a calming influence on me," said the 32-year-old on his match winning knock on his T20 debut.