Ind vs SA: After 8 overs, team wasn't up to mark, admits Rishabh Pant
After suffering a four-wicket loss against South Africa in the second T20I of the five-match series, Indian skipper Rishabh Pant stated that his side was not up to the mark after eight overs in the match while defending the modest 148.
Chasing 149 for the win, Heinrich Klassen took the game away from India with a 46-ball 81 as South Africa romped home with four wickets to spare to go 2-0 up in Cuttack.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's magical figures of 4/13 in four overs were not enough to stop South Africa from taking a 2-0 lead in the series. Led by Heinrich Klaasen's fiery fifty, the Proteas chased down the total with 10 balls to spare.
In the post-match presentation, Rishabh Pant said: "We were 10-15 runs short. Bhuvi and the fast bowlers bowled well in the first 7-8 overs. But after that, we weren't up to the mark. In the second half, we needed wickets, but we couldn't get those wickets."
"They (Klaasen and Bavuma) actually batted really well. We could have bowled better, hope we improve in the next game. We need to win all the remaining three games now," added Pant.
The required run-rate was touching 10 an over when Heinrich Klaasen decided to take the attack to India. The carnage began when he plundered Yuzvendra Chahal for a four and six. He dished out similar treatment to Hardik, with two fours in his second over.
He smashed Axar Patel out of the attack in his very first over, accumulating 19 runs which included a six and two fours. The wicket of Temba Bavuma for 35 did nothing to slow South Africa down as Klaasen's fireworks had brought the required rate down.
Klaasen got to his fifty off just 32 balls and finished the game off in a hurry thereafter.
Earlier, South African bowlers bowled brilliantly to restrict India to 148/6, with only Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Dinesh Karthik making sizable contributions for the hosts.
Both the teams will be squaring off for the third T20I on Tuesday at Vishakhapatnam.
(ANI)
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