A Comeback

Last week I had ended the post with a sad note for the Indian team . They were 2 games down with a newish squad , and it all seemed lost. What a difference week makes . Today the game was canceled mid-way due to rain , ending the score at an even 2–2 .

So what happened this week for the Indian team to turn the tables?

The first T20 the openers finally found their groove, hitting 50 apiece , setting a good defendable target of 179 . Chasing this South Africa could not maintain a decent partnerhip, with the bowling team as a whole stepping up and taking wickets at a steady pace. The biggest improvement was Yuzvendra Chahal , who after getting hit for 49 runs in the first game , managed to give a match winning performace by being economical and taking 3 crucial wickets to destabilise their batting order .

If the third game was an imnprovement , the fourth game can only be described as one sided. While batting first yet again , India scored a decent 169 on the back of a great cameo innings by Dinesh Kartik , the bowlers took it one step forward . The South African team were routed , getting dismissed for a mere 87 in 16.5 overs . There was no excuse to give except that India bowled their hearts out . Avesh Khan took in 4 wickets , while the rest chipped in while also being economical.

Both these games show something crucial . It shows the tenacity of the Indian team to step up and perform in a must-win game . It shows that however low or out they seem , they can always bounce back to win.

It was a baptism of fire for Risabh Pant , but he showed up brilliantly as a captain , showcasing his growth and potential as the T20 team’s leader .

While the series ended in an anti-climatic tie, both teams , especially the young Indians , learnt a lot from this experience and I hope will continue to do so moving forward.

Have a great week ahead !