What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
BENGALURU: The persistent drizzle marred the 5th T20I between India and South Africa at Bengaluru as the match was washed out. The series was evenly poised at 2-2 and the winner of this match would have snagged the five-match series. But both teams will now share the honours as the series ends in a draw.
Earlier, the visitors won the toss and opted to field. Due to an elbow injury to Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj stepped in as a captain for the match.
The first burst of drizzle happened just when both the teams had come out on the field. The covers were called on before even a single ball was bowled. The match resumed at 7.50 pm with a 19-over-each-side encounter.
Indian opener Ishan Kishan was looking to take the attack to the bowlers from the word go as he smoked the left-arm spinner Maharaj for two sixes over deep mid-wicket in the first over. However, he was completely outdone by the slow off-cutter by medium-pacer Lungi Ngidi and was castled for 15.
In his next over, Ngidi snared the other opener Ruturaj Gaikwad as well. The right-hander tried to tonk a slower delivery from Ngidi but only ended up giving a simple catch to Dwaine Pretorius at mid-on. Soon after, another spell of drizzle started and the play had to be stopped again. The hosts were 28-2 in 3.3 overs at that stage.
The drizzle soon turned into a downpour and mangled all the chances of a resumption of play. The cut-off time for a five-over match was 10.02 pm but the drizzle didn’t come to a halt.
The visitors had taken a 2-0 lead in the series by winning the first two matches at New Delhi and Cuttack. But India bounced back and won the next two encounters handsomely at Visakhapatnam and Rajkot. The Bengaluru match was the decider but the rain precipitated a tame end to a pulsating series.
