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Right then. Bengaluru, hope you are ready for a cracking contest this weekend. After being 2-0 down in the series, the hosts have managed to peg things back and level the series at 2-2. All to play for at the Chinnaswamy Stadium then. That should be a cracker of a contest! Do join us for that one on Sunday. For now, this is Pratyush Rohra, signing off on behalf of my co-commentator, Shashwat Kumar. Goodbye and goodnight. See you around!
Dinesh Karthik is the Player of the Match! Here's what DK has to say after his maiden T20I half-century: Just feels good. I've been playing with you for a long time and getting used to being interviewed by people I played with. Feeling very secure in the setup. Even in the last game, things didn't go according to plan for me. The way I felt in the dressing room post the game was very comforting. I had clear plans and was able to go and express myself today. I have a few goals and I want to try and achieve them. DK is thinking a little better, and assessing situations much better. That comes out of practice. Credit goes to my coach for that. There goes some planning behind the scenes and it shows in my batting. They (SA) were brilliant upfront. They made it really hard for us. It was a tough wicket to bat on as well. Generally, our openers have been kind enough to get us too a good start but not so much today. Even in the middle, we found it hard to get boundaries, so it was important for the players who have been around to stand up. When I went in, Hardik told me I can take my time before teeing off and that's the plan I had. The wicket was a hard one but to execute my plans and end on the winning side is a lovely feeling. (On going to Bangalore) It's a home ground for me but I haven't played there yet. I'm really looking forward to the crowd there. I've played a number of games there. To go there was a local hero and an Indian player is a great feeling. The bi-lateral series going down the line is great to see and that's very important for us. When you play multi-nation tournaments, you get put under a lot of pressure. To see that pressure being absorbed in the third and fourth game and put up performances as a team and going into the fifth game at two-all is great. We will try our best. Credit to Rahul bhai. He's been clear in his approach. He isn't saying he should beat South Africa but making the expectations clear for batter and bowlers. That clarity is very important. There's a calmness around and the dressing room is a very secure place now. It's important to embrace pressure and quite pleased with how we've gone as a team.
Rishabh Pant: We talked about execution and playing better cricket and here are the results. We can talk about toss but at the same time, whichever team plays better generally wins on that day. Really happy with the way Hardik put up a show and DK bhai coming in straight away and going for the kill. That partnership gave us something positive and put the bowlers under pressure. As an individual, I can look to improve in certain areas. That's the only thing I can do. It's not about thinking about that too much. Take the positives and move forward for the next match. Let's see what happens in Bangalore. We will try to give our hundred percent and win the trophy.
Keshav Maharaj: It didn't go according to the plan in the last five overs. We leaked a bit too many runs. Having said that, we got a bit better in the backend of the innings but having said that, the way we started in the powerplay just set us back and we couldn't get back in the game. Maybe it was lack of adaptability on the day which we need to go back and address. There's a big game coming up on Sunday, so we need to be a bit proactive in these kind of situations. We stifled ourselves a little bit in the powerplay and lost crucial wickets. Couldn't get a partnership going. Fair play, the Indian team bowled really well today. DK played exceptionally well at the backend but we need to work on different plans and adapt a lot quicker. We'll come in the next game with much better plans. India is always tough for the spinners with small grounds but I'm just trying to get better with each day. The crowd has been phenomenal so far and there's going to be a lot of buzz in Bangalore.
Avesh Khan: (Tell us about how you are feeling) I am feeling great. Today is my dad's birthday and I want to dedicate this performance to them. (On the pitch and your plans) The ball was to attack the stumps and to bowl good lengths. It was a two-paced wicket and there was an idea to use the bouncer as well. (On your three-wicket over) It was a plan to bowl the length ball with that field. Pant asked me to bowl leg-cutter after Jansen was struck by a bouncer. For Maharaj too, I used the variation after bowling hard lengths. We are fielding well and are bowling well. We are enjoying our game and we want to focus on the last game. (On India being favourites) Whoever will win, will win the series and we will try to give our 100% in the final match
India won by 82 runs, leveling the five-match T20I series at 2-2.
This team might be missing its frontline players but this group of players has shown their character and stood tall in adversity. It wasn't straightforward for them after losing their first two games, coming into this game with their backs against the ball in a must-win situation but they've passed this test with flying colours. It was the senior-most member of the side that put his hand up to set-up the win tonight.
On a pitch that was two-faced, Dinesh Karthik's blitz at the end of India's innings has helped them seal a comprehensive win in Rajkot. Not to forget Pandya's contribution with the bat as glued the innings together to help India post an above-par total. The 65-run partnership proved to be the match-winning one after the first innings as India carried that momentum into the second innings.
The run chase for the Proteas started on a disappointing note, with an injury to their captain. De Kock couldn't hit the ground running on his return to the side as South Africa slipped into early trouble at 35-2 in the powerplay. The visitors never really recovered from that early setback, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Avesh Khan was the star of the show, bagging four wickets tonight. The 14th over of the game being the key one, where he dismissed van der Dussen, Jansen and Maharaj to completely derail their run chase. Chahal picked up from where he left off in the last game, while the Patel's - Harshal and Axar were economical, sharing a couple of wickets between them. Bhuvneshwar Kumar only bowled a couple of overs as Pant switched his bowlers around cleverly to help his side seal the deal.
As a result, India have managed to force a decider, with all to play for in the fifth T20I in Bangalore. No update on Bavuma's injury so far. We might have one at the presentations, so stick around to hear what the captain's have to say.
Will that be that? Yes, it will. Bavuma won't stride out to bat again, after all. Fireworks at Rajkot and handshakes all around as India level the series with a comprehensive victory to force a decider in Bengaluru, in a couple of days time.
16.5 Axar Patel to Lungi Ngidi, OUT! THAT WILL BE THAT! Flighted on a length on middle and leg stump, and Ngidi has had too much of blocking already. He plants his front foot and looks to hit it into the river but is very early into the stroke. The ball squirts off the toe end of the bat and is skied towards long on, where the fielder does the rest! India level the series, and we are going to Bengaluru, with the series well and truly alive!
16.4 Axar Patel to Lungi Ngidi, length delivery on middle and off stump. Ngidi gets onto the front foot and blocks the ball down the ground
16.3 Axar Patel to Lungi Ngidi, OH! Length delivery just outside off stump. Ngidi has an agricultural hack at it and is lucky to not lose his off stump
16.2 Axar Patel to Tabraiz Shamsi, back of a length delivery on middle and leg stump. Shamsi gets onto the back foot and helps the ball behind square on the leg side for a single
16.1 Axar Patel to Tabraiz Shamsi, back of a length delivery just outside off stump. Shamsi goes back and stabs the ball into the off side towards the man at backward point
Axar Patel [3.0-0-18-0] is back into the attack
No five-wicket haul for Avesh Khan tonight but it's still a wonderful spell. 4/18 from his four overs to put his side on the brink of a crucial victory that will keep the series alive.
16
overs
86/8score
1
3
0
0
0
2
runs
Temba Bavuma
8(11)
Lungi Ngidi*
4(7)
Tabraiz Shamsi
3(1)
Avesh Khan
4/18
15.6 Avesh Khan to Lungi Ngidi, slower delivery on a length just outside off stump. Ngidi comes forward and pushes the ball towards deep cover point for a couple of runs
15.5 Avesh Khan to Lungi Ngidi, dug into the track at the batter on off stump again. Ngidi picks it up and sways out of the way. Surely the next one has to be aimed at the stumps?
Two balls to go in his spell. Avesh in the hunt for his five-for.
15.4 Avesh Khan to Lungi Ngidi, back of a length delivery just outside off stump. Ngidi plants his front foot and scuffs the ball into the off side towards extra cover
15.3 Avesh Khan to Lungi Ngidi, banged into the track at the batter on off stump. Ngidi gauges the line and the length early and ducks underneath it relatively comfortably