Sun Nov 10 16:10:00 UTC 2024: ## South Africa Edges Out India in Thrilling Second T20, Leveling the Series
**Gqeberha, South Africa:** In a nail-biting encounter, South Africa secured a 3-wicket victory against India in the second T20 of the four-match series, leveling the series at 1-1. The match witnessed a stellar performance by Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who bagged a remarkable five-wicket haul, but his efforts went in vain as the Proteas held their nerves.
India, batting first after losing the toss, set a modest target of 125 runs. While the Indian innings saw a collapse early on, with the loss of three wickets for just 15 runs, Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten 39 brought some stability. However, the Indian batting faltered throughout, failing to build any significant partnerships.
In response, South Africa, despite losing wickets at regular intervals, kept their cool and ultimately chased down the target in the 19th over. Tristan Stubbs, with an unbeaten 47, and Gerald Coetzee’s crucial 19* were instrumental in the victory.
While Chakravarthy’s five-wicket haul stole the spotlight, Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi also contributed with a wicket each for India.
Despite the loss, India holds a strong record against South Africa in bilateral T20 series, having not lost a series in the past five encounters. This victory, however, marks South Africa’s first against India in a T20 series since 2015.
The third T20 is scheduled for Tuesday in Gqeberha, with both teams looking to take the lead in the series.
First Piper 