A 144-run opening streak and a great bowling performance meant that South Africa did not lose its T20I series empty-handed to India.
Everything the Proteas touched turned to gold, starting with the litter that captain Sune Luus won before taking on the supporting role in a record, the fourth highest of any South African pair in T20Is and the highest of any team against India.
Lizelle Lee was the first to score 84 of 47 15-four balls, most of them from a South African in a T20I inning.
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Luus made 62 before being baffled, while Mignon du Preez came on 13/7 to bring South Africa to 175/3.
India have slipped to 13/5 with Shabnim Ismail and Nadine de Klerk both taking two wickets for South Africa 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Hc2nAJpGeH
— ICC (@ICC) October 4, 2019
Such a sum certainly seemed to be beyond India, and when she slipped early on 13/6, it seemed as though a historical mess was at stake. Shabnim Ismail conquered two wickets in two balls in her second to start the rot, winking at the precocious pair of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues.
Ayabonga Khaka then took the Key Wicket from Harmanpreet Kaur (1-0) before Nadine de Klerk stepped in and dismissed Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma within three balls.
The procession continued when Anne Bosch caught Taniya Bhatiya from Luus before Veda Krishnamurthy and Arundhati Reddy gave the goal line prestige.
They added 49 before Krishnamurthy lbw was arrested by Bosch, and another collapse ensued. De Klerk removed the other dough and Nondumiso Shangase hurried to finish the game in 2/0 in three balls as the Proteas scored a 105-run win.
It was India’s second-lowest T20I score of all time and South Africa’s third-largest T20I profit margin, and although a 3-1 result was a fitting expression of its dominance, it took away at least some of the glamor and gave the tourist something to indulge in the ODI series between pages.
