India skipper Virat Kohli had a near-perfect day in the field as he scored a fifty and took an all-important brilliant catch to power India to a seven-wicket win over South Africa in the second T20I, in Mohali on Wednesday.
Kohli anchored the chase with a 52-ball 72, after India restricted the Proteas to 149/5 in their 20 overs. Skipper Quinton de Kock top-scored with 52, before he fell to a brilliant overhead catch by Kohli off Navdeep Saini.
It was India's first win over South Africa in a T20I on home soil, having lost their first two T20Is against them in 2015.
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Kohli, with his knock today, also became the highest run-getter in T20I, with 2,441 runs in 71 matches. He is seven runs ahead of compatriot Rohit Sharma, who made the runs in 97 matches.
Openers Sharma (12) and Shikhar Dhawan started off well, putting on 33 runs for the first wicket, before the former was trapped LBW by Andile Phehluwayo.
Kohli and Dhawan (40) then steadied the innings with a 61-run stand. Phehlukwayo could have had the Indian skipper's wicket in the sixth over, but a debatable caught-behind/LBW review went in the favour of the batsman. Kohli was on 11 then.
A couple of overs later, it was Dhawan's turn to survive a close call, with Dwaine Pretorius missing an easy run-out chance. But the left-hander did not last long falling to yet another brilliant catch in the match—David Miller plucking the ball out of thin air at long-on.
Rishabh Pant was the next man in, but he fell soon for four runs to yet another poor shot, which will further intensify debates on his shot-selection and the number of chances he is getting with talented youngsters like Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan waiting in the wings.
Shreyas Iyer (16*) prevented further hiccups, giving his skipper company with a 47-run partnership to take India home.
Earlier, India produced a fine bowling performance to restrict South Africa to 149/5. Temba Bavuma missing out on a well-deserved half-century by one run, while de Kock was the only other batsman who looked at ease against the Indian bowling attack.
For the Indians, Deepak Chahar was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2/22 in his four overs.
The first T20I at Dharamsala on September 15 was washed out. The third and final T20I will be played in Bengaluru on September 22.
