South Africa beat India by nine wickets as three-match T20 series ends in 1-1 draw
Bengaluru, Sep 22: India captain Virat Kohli's bold move to bat first boomeranged on his team as Quinton de Kock (79) spearheaded South Africa's chase for a series-levelling nine-wicket win in the third T20 International here on Sunday.
To everyone's surprise, Kohli opted to bat after the coin landed in his favour on one of the smallest grounds, always known to favour teams chasing in the shortest format.
Initially though, the decision seemed to have worked as India raced to 54 for one in six overs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The departure of Shikhar Dhawan gave the South Africans an opening, and they grabbed it with both hands, snuffing out eight Indian wickets for 71 runs.
In their chase, South African captain de Kock looked in complete control and struck six fours and five sixes in his unbeaten 52-ball unbeaten 79.
He added 76 runs for the first wicket with Reeza Hendricks in 10 overs and then put on another 64 with Temba Bavuma. After moving to 19 in four overs, De Kock cut loose by hitting Navdeep Saini for two sixes, and there was no looking back.
Earlier, India were stopped at 134 for nine by a disciplined South African attack.
Top-scorer Dhawan blazed away to a 25-ball 36 and got India off to a brisk start that yielded them 54 runs in the first six overs.
Kagiso Rabada was expensive but picked up three wickets, while there were two apiece for Bjorn Fortuin (2/19 in 3 overs) and Beuran Hendricks (2/14).
Playing in his first game of the series, Beuran Hendricks was the team's best bowler without a doubt as he choked run-flow in the middle overs along with left-arm spinner Fortuin.
Rohit Sharma got out early but he did put pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada under pressure straightaway, striking him for two boundaries in his first over one over cover and the other through extra cover.
That brought crowd favourite Kohli in the middle but Dhawan, who began the innings with a boundary, was in charge and welcomed leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi with back-to-back sixes.
The first six was smashed over long-on and the for the second maximum, Dhawan sashayed down the ground, played against the turn, before striking the ball towards long-off.
Going for one too many, Dhawan mistimed Shamsi, who had his revenge after Temba Bavuma completed a neat catch. Kohli, too, followed suit as Andile Phehlukwayo pulled off a fine running catch in the deep, much to Rabada, the bowler on the occasion, and his team's relief.
Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, who improvised to scoop Dwaine Pretorius over the fine leg boundary, threw away their wickets within two balls, leaving India in trouble at 92 for five in the 13th over.
After Pant fell prey to Fortuin's smart piece of bowling, Iyer stepped out out only to be stumped off a wide ball.
It was yet another failure for Pant and once again to a left-arm spinner. After Santner accounted him in the World Cup, Fortuin has now got him twice in two games.
At the toss, Kohli's contention was that he doesn't want the team to slip into a comfort zone. Batting first or second, he wants his team to be a master of all situations with little more than a year left for the T20 World Cup.
However, it did not prove to be a successful move as South Africa staged a strong comeback to level the three-match series 1-1 after the first game was washed out.
That's a wrap from the T20I series. See you soon in the Tests ✌️?? #TeamIndia #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/oqhhrH0g4D
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 22, 2019
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Modi agreed to caste census out of fear: Rahul Gandhi
Darbhanga (Bihar) (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to hold a caste census "out of fear" of the country's deprived population, to which the opposition was lending its voice.
The leader of the opposition made the remark at a charged-up interaction with students in Darbhanga district of Bihar, where he defied attempts of the local administration to thwart him from reaching the venue.
"As you all are aware, my car was stopped at the gate (of Mithila University). But I did not relent. I got out and took a circuitous route to reach here on foot," said the Rae Bareli MP, who launched 'Shiksha Nyay Samvad', a public interaction programme in Bihar where assembly polls are due later this year.
Gandhi was speaking at the varsity's Ambedkar Hostel, where permission for holding the event had been denied by the administration, evoking outrage from the Congress which rejected the suggestion that the programme be held at an alternative venue.
The former Congress president said, "Do you realise why the government in Bihar could not stop me? It was because I am propelled by the vast pool of energy that you embody. It is the same energy before which Narendra Modi had to bow."
"We told Modi you shall touch the Constitution with your head and he ended up doing so. We had also told him you will have to hold a caste census. On both occasions, Modi acceded to the demands out of fear of a backlash from you people," Gandhi claimed.
"But the fact remains that his government serves the interests of Ambani, Adani and their ilk. The system is working for the benefit of five per cent of the population. Dalits, OBCs and tribals have no say, be it in the government, the corporate world or even the media," he alleged.
He urged the youngsters to not get distracted and remain focused on three demands -- an effective caste census on the lines of the survey conducted in (Congress-ruled) Telangana, reservations in private colleges and universities and release of funds allocated to the sub-plan for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
"You can expect little from the NDA. But rest assured that your interests will be taken care of when we come to power, be it in Bihar or at the Centre," he added.
Donning his trademark white polo T-shirt and cargo pants, Gandhi spoke into a hand-held mic and the crowds erupted in chants of 'Jai Bhim' when, towards the end of his speech, he held aloft a portrait of Dr B R Ambedkar.
He also sought to strike a chord with the audience by making one of the attendees, who identified himself as a hosteller hailing from a poor family of daily wage earners, voice his sentiments.
The youngster urged the leader of the opposition to raise in Parliament the issue of discrimination against students from the backward classes and inadequate representation of the underdogs in the media.
"Thanks for sharing your views. Say my namaste to your parents and siblings when you go home," said Gandhi, as he bade goodbye to the student.
