The Proteas won the game by three wickets but had to dig deep for the victory despite the low score.

South Africa won the toss and elected to field first in a decision which appeared to be the correct one but the win wasn’t going to be handed to them on a silver platter.

Hardik Pandya scored 39 not out, and Axar Patel scored 27 as the World Champions were restricted to 124/6 in their allotted 20 overs.

Varun Chakravarthy. Photo: Cricinfo

Nqabayomzi Peter was the most economical of the bowlers who completed their four overs with 1/20. The captain Aiden Markram did, however, take 1/4 in his single over.

The Indian spinners made the run-chase hard for South Africa with Varun Chakravarthy stealing the show with 5/17 in his four overs, while Ravi Bishnoi took 1/21.

‘It was tough to grind to the win to level the series’

The hometown boy, Tristan Stubbs, top-scored for South Africa with 47 not out of 41 balls, while the opener Reeza Hendricks scored 24 at the top of the innings.

The former Knights fast bowler, Gerald Coetzee, also played his part in securing the win with a knock of 19 not out off of nine balls.

The 24-year-old Stubbs admitted that they were out-skilled by Chakravarthy and Bishnoi and it was tough to grind to the win to level the series.

“They both were doing just enough to beat you on either side,” said Stubbs. “It wasn’t easy to come in and just rotate even, let alone take them on. They are two of the best spinners in the world. When they are on, it’s really tough and they got the better of us in the middle there by just out-skilling us.

“It was really nice to get the team over the line and be there not out at the end. I think as someone who bats in the middle, that’s your whole goal when chasing, get the team over the line but do it by being not out at the end.”

The 3rd T20 International will be played on Wednesday at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg