India's Sanju Samson (right) watches the ball after playing a shot as South Africa's wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen (left) reacts during the fourth T20 international cricket match between South Africa and India at Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg India’s Sanju Samson bludgeoned his way to 109 not out off 56 balls, with six fours and nine sixes. At the other end Tilak Varma scored even faster as he made 120 from 47 balls with nine fours and 10 sixes. Picture: Phill Magakoe/AFP
Image: Phill Magakoe/AFP
The Proteas were no match for India as they crashed to an 135-run defeat to the tourists in the fourth and final T20 International (T20I) at the Wanderers on Friday.
The win meant India romped to a 3-1 series victory as they bowled South Africa out for 148.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, India destroyed the Proteas attack on their way to posting a mammoth 283/1 in their 20 overs. It was also the second highest score in T20I history between Test playing nations.
India were off to a flyer as they put on 73 for the first wicket, before Abhishek Sharma was out for 36 in the sixth over. But from then on, if it hadn’t been already, it was all India as they would not lose another wicket for the rest of their innings.
Sanju Samson bludgeoned his way to 109 not out off 56 balls, with six fours and nine sixes. At the other end Tilak Varma scored even faster as he made 120 from 47 balls with nine fours and 10 sixes.
Together the pair put on an incredible 210 runs for the second wicket from just 86 balls.
As impressive as the Indian pair were, they were not flawless as they offered up a number of catches for South Africa. The Proteas though, could not hang onto anything on a day where everything went wrong for them.
Testament to the beating the Proteas attack took, Marco Jansen who went for more 10 an over was the most economical with figures of 0/42 in his four overs. The rest of the Proteas bowlers all went for above 14 per over, and Tristan Stubbs was not spared either as he conceded 21 runs from the six balls he was tasked with delivering.
If the Proteas thought it couldn’t get any worse when they came in to bat, they would have been mistaken as they quickly crashed to 10/4 in just three overs.
Though Tristan Stubbs (43) and David Miller (36) shone with an 86-run stand for the fifth wicket, they were never going to pull off a miracle on a night which belonged firmly to India.
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