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After the fifth and final T20I against South Africa got abandoned due to rain, India skipper Rishabh Pant said that he will be looking forward to contributing more with the bat in the upcoming Test match against England. With the match getting abandoned, the series stays level at 2-2 and will be shared by both sides.
South Africa's stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj invited the home team to bat. Just as the players took position on the field, the skies opened with three minutes to go for the game to start. The heavy showers lasted for about half an hour but the SubAir system at the stadium ensured a 7.50 pm start with the reduction of one over on either side. AS IT HAPPENED | SCORECARDWith a capacity crowd in attendance, Ishan Kishan ensured some fireworks in the opening over when he struck consecutive maximums off Maharaj, both dispatched through midwicket. But two quick wickets of Kishan (15) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (10) and India were struggling at 28/2 in 3.2 overs.
India captain Rishabh Pant hailed the fighting spirit of the side after the hosts came back from two games down to take the five-match series against South Africa into the decider, which was washed out here on Sunday. The wicketkeeper-batter said there are a lot of positives to take from the series that ended 2-2. "It might get a little bit frustrating, but there are a lot of positives, especially the way the whole team showed character after the series was 2-0. We are trying to find different ways of winning matches, we are trying to play in a new way.
As it happened | ScorecardIndia reached 28 for two in 3.3 overs after being put into bat first when a second rain interruption forced players off the field at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Umpires called off the match after rain refused to go away for over 90 minutes and players exchanged hand shakes. Play started 50 minutes late, after rain forced the teams to head off the field just before the first ball was bowled.
Rishabh Pant was given the responsibility of leading Team India after KL Rahul suffered an injury on the eve the opening T20I of the five-match series against South Africa. He didn't have the best of starts as India lost the first two matches of the series. But under the stewardship of Pant, the hosts fought back brilliantly to level the series at 2-2 with the deciding T20I to be played later today. While Pant has received praise from many quarters for his captaincy, his batting performance has been put under the scanner after a string of low scores.
The India vs South Africa T20I series has been a roller-coaster ride so far. While the Proteas won the first two matches in dominating fashion, the hosts ruled the roost in the following two. With the series evenly poised at 2-2, it now goes to the decider which will be played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. With a lot at stake, both the sides would aim to put their best foot forward in the winner-takes-all contest.
While the Indian cricket team will feel enthused about Dinesh Karthik's form since his international comeback in the ongoing T20 International series against South Africa, Rishabh Pant's form will be a matter of concern for them. India are playing the series against South Africa without some senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav are unavailable with injury. With those four players set to feature in India's playing XI when they go to Australia for the T20 World Cup in October-November, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik also seem to have consolidated their positions in the team with their performances.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has questioned Rishabh Pant's shot selection, saying it is "not a good sign" that the Indian stumper is repeatedly falling into the outside the off-stump trap in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa. Pant, who has scored 740 runs in 47 T20Is at 23.12, has been getting out in almost identical fashion while going for the big shot wife outside the off-stump.