*CENTURION: For the second time in his short career, Heinrich Klaasenhalted India’s cricketing juggernaut as South Africa won the secondTwenty20 international by six wickets at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.*
Klaasen slammed seven sixes in hitting 69 off 30 balls as South Africachased down a target of 189 with eight balls to spare.
The win squared the three-match series, taking it to a decider in Cape Townon Saturday.
Both teams had to contend with a wet ball, with drizzle falling during bothinnings.
“Klaasie got us ahead of the game,” said South African captain JP Duminy.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who only got his international debut afterQuinton de Kock was injured during the second of six one-dayinternationals, was moved up the batting order when it seemed possible rainwould cause the match to be decided on a Duckworth/Lewis/Stern calculation.
“We weren’t sure whether we would be coming off,” said Duminy. “In the endit worked in our favour.”
Klaasen, who was man of the match when South Africa gained their only winin the one-day series, opened his score with two sixes and didn’t look back.
Duminy played an anchor role before finishing the match with two sixes inan innings of 64 not out off 40 balls.
“It was a tough one for the bowlers,” said India captain Virat Kohli, whosaid he had no complaints about the umpires keeping the players on thefield.
“It was good from a spectator point of view. Once the game continued in thefirst innings we knew it would continue throughout. It was constantdrizzle, it wasn’t too drastic, so it was fine to play on.”
Kohli praised Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni, who hit 79 not out and 52 not outrespectively in an unbeaten fifth wicket stand of 98 off 56 balls to getIndia to 188 for four after they had been struggling at 45 for three.
“I thought it was a winning total but you can’t control what happens withthe weather,” said Kohli.
“You have to give credit to the South African batsmen. They were positiveand took calculated risks.”
India paid the penalty for a lack of bowling options. Leg-spinner YuzvendraChahal struggled to control the wet ball and was hit for 64 runs in fourovers.
Pandey made his career-best 79 not out off 48 balls while Dhoni thrashedhis 52 off 28 balls.
Pandey came to the wicket after a rare failure by Kohli, who was caughtbehind for one off fast bowler Junior Dala. – APP/AFP