IND vs SA 2022: “This is the ideal template that India would want” - Wasim Jaffer on Team India’s impressive batting performance in 2nd T20I

Wasim Jaffer has asserted that Team India’s solid batting performance in the second T20I against South Africa in Guwahati on Sunday, October 2, is the “ideal template” for the hosts.

Asked to bat after losing the toss, the Men in Blue came up with a terrific batting effort to post 237 for three in their 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 61 off 22, while KL Rahul contributed 57 off 28. Skipper Rohit Sharma (43 off 37) and Virat Kohli (49* off 28) also chipped in with crucial knocks.

Thanks to their brilliance with the bat, India hung on for a 16-run win despite a sensational hundred from David Miller. Speaking after the game, Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo that almost everything went right for the hosts in the batting department. Reflecting on the batters' performance, he commented:

“This is the ideal template that India would want. There are not many days when your top four or five batters bat the way you want them to - everybody getting starts, striking at 150-160. The batters put on a perfect show.”

Team India got off to a terrific start as openers Rahul and Rohit added 96 in 9.5 overs. Suryakumar and Kohli then added 102 for the third wicket before Dinesh Karthik came in and clubbed an unbeaten 17 in only seven balls.

Courtesy of some brutal hitting at the death, India scored 82 runs in the last five overs of their innings.

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“His innings made the difference” - Wasim Jaffer on Suryakumar Yadav’s knock

Although the hosts notched up an impressive 237 runs while batting first, they only ended up winning the game by 16 runs. Miller (106* off 47) and Quinton de Kock (69* off 48) added an unbroken 174 for the fourth wicket as South Africa reduced the margin of defeat significantly.

According to Jaffer, India could have ended up losing the game but for Suryakumar’s heroics, which gave them that additional cushion of 15-20 runs. He explained:

“Suryakumar Yadav’s knock was exceptional as usual. His innings was the standout one. It made the difference as India got 15-20 runs more. It put India ahead in the game. If they would have got 210-215, South Africa would have probably chased it down.”

Suryakumar struck five fours and as many sixes in his blazing knock. During the innings, he became the fastest to reach 1000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced - 573. Australia’s Glenn Maxwell (604 balls) held the previous record.