Touch of Klaasen as SA beat India by six wickets

CENTURION, South Africa: For the second time in his short career, Heinrich Klaasen halted India’s cricketing juggernaut as South Africa won the second Twenty20 International by six wickets at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.

Klaasen slammed seven sixes in hitting 69 off 30 balls as South Africa chased down a target of 189 with eight balls to spare. The win squared the three-match series, taking it to a decider in Cape Town on Saturday.Both teams had to contend with a wet ball, with drizzle falling during both innings.“Klaasie got us ahead of the game,” said South African captain JP Duminy.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, who only got his international debut after Quinton de Kock was injured during the second of six One-day Internationals, was moved up the batting order when it seemed possible rain would cause the match to be decided on a Duckworth/Lewis calculation.

Klaasen, who was man of the match when South Africa gained their only win in 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 in an innings of 64 not out off 40 balls.

Kohli praised Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni, who hit 79 not out and 52 not out respectively in an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 98 off 56 balls to get India to 188 for four after they had been struggling at 45 for three.

India paid the penalty for a lack of bowling options. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal struggled to control the wet ball and was hit for 64 runs in four overs.Pandey made his career-best 79 not out off 48 balls while Dhoni thrashed his 52 off 28 balls.Pandey came to the wicket after a rare failure by Kohli, who was caught behind for one off fast bowler Junior Dala. —AFPSouth Africa won toss

India

R Sharma lbw b Dala 0

S Dhawan c Behardien b Duminy 24

S Raina lbw b Phehlukwayo 30

*V Kohli c Klaasen b Dala 1

M Pandey not out 79

†M Dhoni not out 52

Extras (lb1, w1) 2

Total (4 wkts, 20 overs) 188

Did not bat: H Pandya, B Kumar, S Thakur, J Unadkat, Y Chahal

Fall: 1-0, 2-44, 3-45, 4-90

Bowling: Morris 4-1-42-0, Dala 4-1-28-2, Paterson 4-0-51-0, Duminy 2-0-13-1 (1w), Shamsi 2-0-24-0, Phehlukwayo 2-0-15-1, Smuts 2-0-15-0

South Africa

R Hendricks c Pandya b Thakur 26

J Smuts c Raina b Unadkat 2

*J Duminy not out 64

†H Klaasen c Dhoni b Unadkat 69

D Miller c Thakur b Pandya 5

F Behardien not out 16

Extras (lb2, w5) 7

Total (4 wkts, 18.4 overs) 189

Did not bat: A Phehlukwayo, C Morris, D Paterson, J Dala, T Shamsi

Fall: 1-24, 2-38, 3-131, 4-141

Bowling: Kumar 3-0-19-0, Thakur 4-0-31-1 (1w), Unadkat 3.4-0-42-2 (2w), Pandya 4-0-31-1 (1w), Chahal 4-0-64-0 (1w)

Result: South Africa won by six wickets

Man of the Match: Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa)

Umpires: Allahudien Paleker (South Africa) and Bongani Jele (South Africa). TV umpire: Adrian Holdstock (South Africa). Match referee: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)