IND vs SA 2022: Hits and flops as India thumps South Africa to level the series 1-1

On the back of some incredible all-round performances by the team, India managed to defeat South Africa and win the second ODI by seven wickets at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday (October 9). With the win, the Men in Blue have now leveled the three-match series at 1-1.

Opting to bat first, South Africa lost two wickets inside the powerplay. However, Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram stabilized the innings and tackled the Indian bowlers with a nice mix of caution and aggression.

However, once their partnership of 129 runs got broken, India made a strong comeback into the game and restricted the scoring. Indian pacers did really well in the death overs and kept the visitors to 278/7 in their 50 overs, despite the presence of the dangerous David Miller at the crease.

Career best knocks from Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer helps India draw level in the series 🙌🏻

#INDvSA | Scorecard: bit.ly/3SPHSIu https://t.co/DZ8zYVEyZP

Chasing a tricky target of 279, India endured a tough start, losing both their openers with just 48 runs on the board. Another wicket would've given South Africa a clear upper hand in the game.

However, a match-changing partnership of 161 runs between Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan meant that India made a mockery of the target.

With the help of four boundaries and as many as seven lusty sixes, Kishan scored 93 while Iyer remained unbeaten at 113* to take India home with seven wickets and 25 balls in hand.

To complete the review of this satisfying game for Indian fans, let's take a look at the hits and flops from the second ODI between India and South Africa.

#4 Flop - Keshav Maharaj

Keshav Maharaj failed to make an impact in the second ODI against India [Pic Credit: BCCI]

Leading South Africa in the second ODI, Keshav Maharaj had an awful day in Ranchi.

First, his decision to bowl second came as a surprise considering that dew was always going to be a crucial factor in the game. As a result, the decision backfired and the South African bowlers found it tough to bowl under lights.

With the ball, Maharaj failed to make an impact and was easily put away by the Indian batters. The left-arm spinner, who bowled the majority of his deliveries on a shorter length, proved predictable throughout the innings. Once Ishan Kishan took the attack to him, the tweaker had no answers.

Maharaj bowled seven overs in total, leaking 45 runs and failing to grab any wickets. Not to forget, Maharaj's dull innings of 5 from 13 deliveries in the first innings also didn't help matters, as it left David Miller facing fewer balls in the last three overs.

#3 Hit - Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj bowled superbly in the death overs for India

Mohammad Siraj, who went wicketless in the opening ODI, was India's best bowler on show in Ranchi. The right-arm pacer bowled with venom and vigor and hit the right areas throughout the innings.

Spearheading the pace attack for India, Siraj opened the bowling and got the ball swinging in the initial overs. During his second over, Siraj dismissed the dangerman Quinton de Kock before coming back in his second spell to get rid of Reeza Hendricks, who had scored a well-made 74.

An exceptional spell from Mohammed Siraj 👏🏻

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The Hyderabad-born pacer capped off his impressive day by delivering an economical spell in the death overs. Bowling the 44th, 46th, 48th, and the 50th over of the innings, Siraj gave away just 12 runs while also dismissing Maharaj in the last over.

Along with a maiden over, Siraj ended the innings with outstanding figures of 10-1-38-3. The most impressive aspect of his performance was his ability to keep Miller quiet, despite the South Africa batter being in good form. His change of pace with a worn ball made stroke-making difficult and frustrated the visitors no end.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan was bowled by Wayne Parnell for the second game running [Pic Credit: BCCI]

Another captain who had an off day at the office was Shikhar Dhawan. The southpaw, who didn't do much wrong with his tactics on the field, failed to contribute for his side for the second game in a row.

The Indian skipper, who hit a six early in the innings, looked to get some runs under his belt. However, he fell short in his task and was dismissed by Wayne Parnell for the second time in two games.

Wayne Parnell gets the better of Shikar Dhawan, again 🤯

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After pitching the ball up and trying to get it to swing in the initial stages, Parnell pulled his length back and kept it straight on the stumps, on a low and slow wicket.

Dhawan came down the track on a delivery and looked to play across the line to a good length ball. However, his body shape and balance went awry as the off-stump went for a spin.

With just 13 runs off 20 balls, Dhawan returned to the pavilion with a wry smile on his face.

#1 Hit - Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan batted superbly on Sunday vs South Africa [Pic Credit: Getty Images]

The sole reason why India managed to ease past the South African target on Sunday was because of the outstanding partnership between Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer.

With both openers back in the hut, Kishan and Iyer were faced with a tricky task. However, they complimented each other and batted superbly to put the visiting bowlers on the backfoot.

Both were fluent from the outset, and as excellent spin players, they were able to overcome whatever hurdles their opponents put at them.

That's how you hit back 🥊

Total domination from 🇮🇳 as they cruised to victory, with Iyer's sensational ton and a stellar innings from Kishan 👏🏼

#INDvSA https://t.co/3g0zqWzhYv

Kishan took full advantage of his favorable matchups against the left-arm spin duo of Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin and managed to hit them out of the attack before going bonkers against the pacers of South Africa as well.

Iyer was his usual calm self and the mayhem on the other side allowed him to pace his innings well. The right-hander found gaps efficiently to strike boundaries at regular intervals.

Scoring a fantastic 84-ball 93, Kishan was unfortunate to miss out on a century, but by the time he fell, the result was all but decided.

Iyer, on the other hand, continued with his free-flowing batting and eventually registered his second ODI ton in 103 balls.