The Prague Post - Pandya blitz powers India to T20 series win over South Africa

A punishing 105-run fourth partnership between Pandya, who hammered 63 off off 25 balls, and Tilak Varma (73) swept India to 231-5 at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

In reply, South Africa started strongly thanks to a 35-ball 65 by Quinton de Kock, who played his 100th T20 for the national team, but the opener's departure triggered a collapse and the Proteas ended on 201-8.

The win sealed India's eighth consecutive T20 series triumph, a streak that began in December 2023.

South Africa began the tour with a stunning 2-0 triumph in the Test series but the white ball contests proved disappointing as they also lost the one-day series 2-1.

Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah returned figures of 2-17 including the key wicket of De Kock who chipped a yorker straight back to him. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy took four wickets, bowling Donovan Ferreira and George Linde.

The series was part of the build-up for the T20 World Cup which starts in February in India and Sri Lanka.

Put into bat after the fourth match was abandoned due to fog in Lucknow, Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma started briskly before Pandya tore into the opposition attack.

Seam bowler Corbin Bosch cut short left-handed Abhishek's knock on 34 and Samson fell for 37, bowled off left-arm spinner Linde.

India lost their third wicket when skipper Suryakumar Yadav got out for five to extend his lean run with the bat.

T20 specialist Suryakumar has managed just 244 runs across his last 22 innings in this format with no fifties.

Pandya walked in and smacked Bosch for a six to signal his intent with the bat and in the next over hammered Linde for two sixes and two fours.

The middle-order batter registered India's second fastest T20 fifty, behind Yuvraj Singh's record of a 12-ball half-century in 2007.

The left-handed Varma also impressed with is clean hitting but Pandya's carnage that included five fours and five sixes stole the show.

Pandya finally fell to Ottneil Baartman and Varma got run out on the penultimate ball but the pair helped India get 116 runs from the last eight overs.

Vice-captain Shubman Gill missed the match after he injured his right foot while batting in the nets in Lucknow.

In the South African chase, De Kock's 51-run second-wicket partnership with Dewald Brevis, who made 31 off 17 balls, gave the Proteas hope but regular wickets and rising asking-rate proved too much.

M.Jelinek--TPP