Karthik, Avesh star as India blunt South Africa to draw level

RAJKOT: India goalkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik shattered a brilliant half-century before young pacemaker Avesh Khan wreaked havoc on South Africa’s batting lineup to propel the home team to an 82-run comprehensive victory in the fourth T20I .

India have made a remarkable turnaround after falling 2-0 in the first two games to force the series to a 2-2 draw before the final game on Sunday.

Batting first, the home team posted a commendable total of 169/6 in the allotted 20 overs, thanks to Karthik’s breakneck half-century.

The home team was in all sorts of trouble when Karthik came out to bat for 81/4 in the 13th. The wicket-keeper batsman then showed character and formed a match-defining partnership with the multi-talented Hardik Pandya.

The pair added 65 runs for the fifth wicket and excelled on pace to propel the team to a commendable total.

Pandya, who was a bit slow in proceedings, came up short against Lungi Ngidi in the 19th. He scored 46 from 31 balls, tied with three bounds and as many sixes.

Karthik, on the other hand, fell in the final over after making sure to get his side out of harm’s way as India finished 169/6 from 20 overs. The wicket-keeper batsman scored a team-high 55 in just 27 deliveries with the help of nine bounds and two sixes.

In the run chase, the Indian bowlers showed utter dominance over the Proteas batting lineup and eliminated the tour side for a meager 87 in the 17th.

Rassie van der Dussen held out for a bit with his gritty 20, but he too couldn’t hold out for long against the heavy onslaught of the Indian pins. The rest of the batsmen also looked helpless as eight of them failed to get into double figures.

For India, Avesh was the bowlers choice as he posted a career best 4-18 while Yuzvendra Chahal posted two. Harshal Patel and Axar Patel, on the other hand, did one scalp each.

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