South Africa win T20 series after crowd trouble – Seamer Morkel leads the way for Proteas

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CUTTACK, India, Oct 5, (AFP): Seamer Albie Morkel led the way with three for 12 as South Africa thumped India by six wickets in the violence-hit second Twenty20 match in Cuttack on Monday to clinch the series.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir and seamer Chris Morris chipped in with two wickets each as India were skittled for a paltry 92 after being sent in to bat on a pitch of inconsistent bounce at the Barabati stadium.

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had South Africa struggling at 49-3 after removing Hashim Amla (two), skipper Faf du Plessis (16) and danger man AB de Villiers (19) in his four-over spell.

But even two stoppages due to bottles being thrown on the field of play by disappointed Indian fans could not prevent the tourists from surpassing the modest target in 17.1 overs. Match referee Chris Broad of England ordered match organisers to provide adequate security in the stands before the game could be resumed.

The easy win gave South Africa a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series, having won the opener by seven wickets in Dharamsala on Friday.

The final match will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.

Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina top-scored with 22 each as India were bowled out in 17.2 overs to record their second-lowest total in T20 internationals. They had fallen for 74 against Australia in 2008.

Morkel, a late induction in the touring squad after David Wiese was ruled out with a fractured hand, struck deadly blows after replacing Marchant de Lange from the team that played in Dharamsala.

India were reduced to 30-2 by the fifth over as Shikhar Dhawan fell leg-before to Chris Morris for 11 and star batsman Virat Kohli was run out first ball while attempting a risky second run.

Sharma, who hit a century in Dharamsala, was run out by a direct throw by David Miller from point. Ambati Rayadu failed to get off the mark for the second successive time when he was bowled second ball by young fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.

India slipped into further trouble when skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was caught behind off Morkel for five to make it 67-5 in the 12th over.

Tahir, who shared the new ball with Kyle Abbott, dismissed Raina and the recalled Harbhajan Singh off consecutive deliveries in his third over, reducing India to 69-7. The tail failed to play out the allotted overs against the sustained pressure applied by South Africa.

Scoreboard

India:

1. Sharma run out 22
2. Dhawan lbw b Morris 11
3. Kohli run out 1
4. Raina c Amla b Tahir 22
5. Rayudu b Rabada 0
6. Dhoni c de Villiers b A. Morkel 5
7. Patel c du Plessis b A. Morkel 9
8. Singh b Tahir 0
9. Ashwin b Morris 11
10. Kumar b A. Morkel 0
11. Sharma not out 0

Extras: (lb1, w9, nb1)      11

Total (all out, 17.2 overs)              92

Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Dhawan), 2-30 (Kohli), 3-43 (R. Sharma), 4-45 (Rayudu), 5-67 (Dhoni), 6-69 (Raina), 7-69 (Harbhajan), 8-85 (Patel), 9-85 (Kumar), 10-92 (Ashwin).

Bowling: Abbott 3-0-21-0 (w4, nb1), Tahir 4-0-24-2 (w1), Rabada 4-0-18-1 (w3), Morris 2.2-0-16-2 (w1), A. Morkel 4-0-12-3.

South Africa:

AB de Villiers b Ashwin 19

1. Amla c R. Sharma b Ashwin 2
2. du Plessis c M. Sharma b Ashwin 16
3. JP Duminy not out           30
4. Behardien lbw b Patel 11
5. Miller not out 10

Extras: (lb3, w5)                8

Total (for four wickets, 17.1 overs)           96

Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Amla), 2-38 (du Plessis), 3-49 (de Villiers), 4-76 (Behardien).

Bowling: Kumar 2-0-13-0 (w3), Ashwin 4-0-24-3, Harbhajan 4-0-20-0 (w2), M. Sharma 1-0-7-0, Raina 3.1-0-12-0, Patel 3-0-17-1.

South Africa won by six wickets

Toss: South Africa

Umpires: CK Nandan (IND) and Chettithody Shamshuddin (IND)

TV umpire: Vineet Kulkarni (IND)

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

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