A superb century from Tilak Varma helped India power their way to a big 219-6 in the third Wonder Cement T20 International against the Proteas at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday evening.
Varma arrived at the crease in the first over and ended up unbeaten on 107 off 56 deliveries, having smoked eight fours and seven sixes, while he shared in a strong 107-run second-wicket stand with opener Abhishek Sharma, 50 off 25 (3×4; 2×6), to help set up the innings.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl the Proteas enjoyed the perfect start to the match as Marco Jansen’s second ball went straight through first T20 centurion Sanju Samson to bowl him for a second consecutive duck.
But that was as good as it got in the powerplay for the hosts as India swiftly took charge.
Varma and Sharma took centre stage with 12 runs coming off Jansen and 15 off Gerald Coetzee in the second over to get them up and running.
Back-to-back sixes from Sharma off Andile Simelane in the fifth over saw 18 come off it, while another Sharma six off the final over of the powerplay from Lutho Sipamla helped add another 10 to the total, with them flying on 70-1.
Despite the fielding restrictions being over, the carnage continued as Aiden Markram conceded 13 in the seventh over, while Coetzee bowled a poor eighth over, with three wides, a no ball and a six from Varma seeing 16 runs off it, taking India to 99-1.
The ninth over finally saw the breakthrough from Maharaj as Sharma first hammered him over long on for six and then knocked a single to bring up his fifty, but a few balls later he came down the wicket, missed the ball and was stumped by keeper Heinrich Klaasen with the score 107-2.
The wicket allowed the Proteas to fight back briefly as new batter Suryakumar Yadav (1) fell in the 10th, slicing a ball from Simelane to Jansen at deep point.
In the 13th over Varma brought up his half century with a single off Maharaj, while Hardik Pandya (18) was trapped LBW to leave them on 132-4.
With just six runs coming off Markram in the 14th over India had only managed 31 off the previous five overs, but the fireworks began again in the 15th as two fours and a six from Varma off Maharaj produced 16 runs.
It was then the Varma show over the rest of the innings as he walloped two sixes and a four off Coetzee in the 16th over that went for 21, while a four from Ramandeep Singh (15) and a four from Varma that brought up his century, followed by a six helped 19 come off Sipamla in the 19th over.
Jansen only conceded four runs in the last over, while Ramandeep was run out trying to steal a bye.
However, the Proteas still have it all to do and will have to get off to a strong start as they chase a big total.
SOUTH AFRICA: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla
INDIA: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy
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