Tristan Stubbs Powers South Africa to Series-Levelling Win Over India

Tristan Stubbs played a crucial role in helping South Africa defeat India by three wickets at St George’s Park, leveling the series. Chasing 125, Stubbs stepped up when South Africa was struggling at 66 for 6. He scored an unbeaten 47 and shared a quick 42-run stand with Gerald Coetzee, ending India’s impressive 11-match winning streak in T20Is.

South Africa’s Bowling Shines

South Africa, who had been struggling since the T20 World Cup, put on a strong bowling performance. They restricted India to just 124 runs, taking early wickets to put pressure on India. The bowlers removed India’s top three batters for only eight runs, and the spinners kept the scoring rate low. A late 37-run stand between Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh gave India some momentum, but they finished with a below-par total.

A Challenging Chase

South Africa’s chase was not easy. India’s spinner Varun Chakravarthy was on fire, taking his first international five-wicket haul and causing trouble for South Africa’s batsmen. Captain Aiden Markram continued his run of low scores, as he hasn’t scored a T20I half-century in 26 innings. South Africa found themselves needing 40 runs off the last five overs. But Stubbs stayed calm, and Coetzee’s late hitting helped them reach the target with an over to spare.

Coetzee’s Quick Runs

Though known for his bowling, Coetzee showed his batting strength under pressure. With South Africa needing 39 off 26 balls, he hit a six and two boundaries to reduce the target. This took some pressure off Stubbs, allowing them to score the remaining runs and win the game.

Varun’s Impressive Spell

India’s Varun Chakravarthy proved challenging for South Africa. He bowled Markram with a tricky googly, then dismissed Reeza Hendricks with the same delivery. Varun also removed Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller in his final over, finishing with five wickets for just 17 runs. Despite his great spell, South Africa managed to chase down the target, with Stubbs and Coetzee guiding them home.