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India lost their second T20I to South Africa by four wickets. Asked to bat first, the Indian team went for shots straightaway, assuming it to be a flat wicket as was the case in the first T20I in Delhi. The Barabati Pitch in Cuttack, however, behaved very differently than that of Delhi's pitch. India, as a result, could only manage to score 148 runs in the first innings.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India's main bowler, gave India the best chance of making a comeback as he wreaked havoc with the ball in the powerplay. He dominated the South Africans on a pitch that had uneven bounce as well as swing. The right-arm pacer, produced a moment of absolute beauty when he bowled the South African batter Rassie van der Dussen with a deadly inswinger. The video of the same has been doing the rounds on social media.
The class of Bhuvi with new ball. pic.twitter.com/RF4lsyCPNy
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 12, 2022
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had already picked two wickets in his first two overs, was given the third over in the powerplay. The last match's hero, Rassie van der Dussen, who had just come to bat took strike on the second ball of the over after the South African captain Temba Bavuma took a run at mid-off on the previous delivery.
Coming at an important time for the Proteas, the right-hand batter would have thought of continuing his same exploits of 75 off of 46 balls in the first match. The Indian pacer however was determined to stop him.
His first ball to the South African was a back-of-a-length delivery that set him up for the next one. The Meerut-born pacer's next ball broke Dussen's defences and hit his middle stump to send him packing.
Although India lost the second T20I against South Africa, the 32-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar, won the battle with his doubters. With a bowling stat of 4-13-4, the Indian bowler looked the sharpest in a lineup where others were being taken to the cleaners.
India play their next match against the South Africans on June 14th in Vishakhapatnam.