India unlucky to lose the only T20 vs. South Africa due to rain

South Africa 219-4(Colin Ingram 78, Jacques Kallis 61, Suresh Raina 2-49) beat India 71-0 (Gautam Gambhir 49*) by 11 runs (Duckworth – Lewis method).

India suffered a blow due to weather after losing the only T20 by 11 runs vs. South Africa as per the D/L Method when India was cruising well at 71-0 in 7.5 overs.

The Proteas amassed 219 runs for the loss of just four wickets at the end of the 20^th over and India smashed 71 in 7.5 overs when the match was stopped because of the rain.

Colin Ingram was declared ‘Player of the match’ as he thrashed 78 runs off just 50 balls and dictated his terms to the bowlers.

The match was played at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on March30, 2012 and a capacity crowd witnessed the game in the park.

Earlier, the Indian Captain MS Dhoni, won the toss and preferred to field with a vision to get rid of South Africa at a nominal score. The innings was opened in style by Richard Levi and Jacques Kallis as the first dispatched two boundaries in the initial over. Levi continued with the attack by adding two more in the next over but lost his wicket on the fourth ball for 19 off 7 balls with 4 fours.

The first wicket was lost at 22 runs when Ingram came in the centre and opened his account with a four on the first ball he faced. Kallis came to his own by sending the ball twice rolling over the fence in the fifth over and 47 runs were posted on board at the end of that over. The momentum was carried on by the duo, the runs were coming easily as fours and sixes kept on flowing from their willows and the hundred of the innings was achieved in the 12^th over.

Jacques Kallis punished Virat Kohli for three successive fours in the 14^th over as both batsmen registered their fifties in the same over. They enhanced the score to 141runs in 15 overs when Kallis was caught at deep midwicket boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin for 61 off 42 balls with 2 sixes and 5 fours. Ingram was the next batsman who was gone at his individual score of 78 scored off 50 balls with 3 huge sixes and 8 fours. The next incoming batsmen maintained the high scoring rate and the home side plundered 219 runs after losing four wickets at the end of the 20^th over.

Dhoni utilized eight bowlers but Suresh Raina was the most successful one with two wickets and Irfan Pathan chipped in with one wicket.

India started off well with Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir and the latter was the most attacking of the two. Gambhir accumulated 15 runs in the second over which included one six and two fours and earned 12 in the fourth over with two fours. They scored 47 runs at the end of the fifth over and the innings was accelerated by the two. Gambhir punished Wayne Parnell for two consecutive fours in the eighth over and the score was taken to 71 when the heavy rain stopped the game and the interesting chase came to an end.

Further play became impossible and South Africa was declared winners according to the D/L method by 11 runs.