Dinesh Karthik: Tearing off the edge of the cliff, India crawl to breathe again and take the series to the final game in Bangalore. Big credit for the series-level 82-run win in Rajkot goes to the unmatched big-hitting brilliance of Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya, whose 65 runs in 5.3 overs propelled India to 169 on a hard surface along with synchronized utility did own bowling firm.
Dinesh Karthik becomes oldest Indian to score T20I fifty
Dinesh Karthik played an explosive innings by scoring his maiden T20I half-century in Rajkot on Friday. He faced just 27 balls and scored 55 runs and helped India win the match by 82 runs.
Give these sets of bowlers a position that advances their craft remotely, they make life impossibly difficult for foreign batsmen, let alone prosper. The surface was not as conducive to stroke-play as other locations in this series. Some balls stalled, some skidded, and some jumped off good-length areas.
The boom was spongy instead of a trampoline. Both the fast bowlers and the spinners mixed their pace cleverly, reaching a leg up on the advantage that South Africa were getting. Indian bowlers tied him in just one thread.
There is no hero for South Africa. Quinton de Kock worked before being run out, Temba Bavuma suffered a shoulder injury and retired; Harshal Patel dismisses David Miller with a slippery ball; Yuzvendra Chahal took revenge on his harasser, Heinrich Klaasen, with a straight ball; Avesh Khan enjoyed his best night in international cricket by taking four wickets. He was bundled out for 87, as India kept the half at (169/7).
There were many heroes for India. Most prominent among them was Dinesh Karthik, whose innings of 55 off 27 balls left the impression that he single-handedly batted on a different pitch. He certainly batted on a different plane, batting fluently on a surface where most batsmen consistently struggled to time the ball and find boundaries.
Dinesh Karthik of India celebrates scoring a half-century during the fourth Twenty20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Rajkot, India, Friday, June 17, 2022.
It was Karthik’s maiden half-century in the shortest format of the game, and with him, he went past Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a huge feat. He became the oldest Indian cricketer to score a T20I fifty.
– 37 years, 16 days – Dinesh Karthik (against South Africa, 2022)
– 36 years, 229 days – MS Dhoni (against South Africa, 2018)
– 35 years, 1 day – Shikhar Dhawan (against Australia, 2020)
Karthik, along with Hardik Pandya, led the Indian resurgence in the innings after four early dismissals and the right-arm pair shared a quick 65-run stand.
Karthik hit nine fours and two sixes in his captivating innings, leaving the crowd on their feet. Pandya provided capable support with his knock of 46 runs off 31 balls.
The two sides will meet in the final T20I of the series at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
