Second T20I: India vanquish South Africa by 7 wickets

India skipper Virat Kohli en route his 72* against South Africa at Mohali yesterday. Pic/AFP

Mohali: Skipper Virat Kohli led India to a resounding seven-wicket win over South Africa in the second T20I with an unbeaten 72-run knock as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the short three-match series here yesterday.

Kohli (72 not out off 52 balls), who made a memorable 82 not out in his last T20 on this ground more than three years ago, helped India chased down the modest target with consummate ease, getting the team home in 19 overs.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (40 off 31) too made a significant contribution and shared a 61-run stand with the skipper, who scored his 22nd T20 fifty. His 52-ball knock comprised four boundaries and three sixes. The solid performance with the bat came after the bowlers restricted South Africa to 149-5 in 20 overs.

The third and final T20 will be played in Bangalore on Sunday. It effectively became a two-match series after the opening game in Dharamsala was washed out on Sunday.

India were always in control of the chase despite losing Rohit Sharma (12 off 12) early. The India vice-captain was trapped in front by Andile Phehlukwayo after he pulled debutant Anrich Nortje for two sixes in the second over.

While it was a treat to watch Kohli, Rishabh Pant (4) threw away his wicket again. It was an innocuous ball from debutant spinner Bjorn Fortuin but Pant hit it straight to the short fine-leg fielder Tabraiz Shamsi.

Earlier, SA captain Quinton de Kock (52 off 37) and debutant Temba Bavuma (49 off 43) played impressive knocks but India managed to limit SA to a below-par total. India bowled well in the death overs, conceding only 24 runs in the final four with pacer Deepak Chahar being the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets for 22 runs in four overs.

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