Before the series started, the Proteas had just six T20 Internationals left before the start of the T20 World Cup next year, thus making every remaining game a crucial build-up to the showpiece event.
With the first T20I rained-out in Durban, coach Rob Walter and his team desperately needed time on the park in the second T20I against India in Gqeberha.
Due to rain, only 34.3 overs were bowled at St George’s Park and for the most part of those overs, South Africa were behind the eight ball as the Indian team managed to stay ahead of the game having set 187/7, which was revised to a target of 152 in 15 overs through the DLS Method.
Opening batter Reeza Hendricks (49 off 27) and captain Aiden Markram (30 off 17) struck 12 boundaries and two maximums between them, and put together the only 50-plus partnership in South Africa’s batting innings.
The experienced Heinrich Klaasen (7 off 5) and David Miller (17 off 12) had very little impact on the game, leaving it to youngster Tristan Stubbs (14* off 12) and all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo (10* off 4) to do the business in the back-end of the innings.
The pair led South Africa to victory, with Phehlukwayo smashing Ravindra Jadeja for six over cow-corner to take the Proteas 1-0 up in the series with one match remaining at the Wanderers on Thursday.
Earlier, the Proteas won an important toss in Gqeberha, seeing that the rain sent clear signs of its intention to interfere with proceedings. With the DLS method favouring teams batting second, captain Aiden Markram made the right call at the toss.
Disappointingly, Marco Jansen’s old habits with the white-ball in hand came back to haunt South Africa, as the left-arm quick struggled to settle into any rhythm, sending three deliveries astray and overstepping once in his three overs.
Despite picking up the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the opening over, the Indian batters helped themselves to what was a below par bowling performance, smashing four boundaries and a six off the 23-year-old Jansen to leave him with another costly spell of 1/39 in three overs.
Gerald Coetzee did not have a good start either, as he too failed to make full use of the swing that was on offer and the moisture in the wicket as a result of the wicket being under covers for the most part of the day.
Coetzee conceded almost 10 runs per over himself, bowled one wide and picked up three wickets, while Lizaad Williams (1/32), Andile Phehlukwayo (0/29) and Aiden Markram (1/29) also had a rather forgetful night at the office.
However, Tabrazi Shamsi picked up where he left off in the World Cup semi-final, where he had Australia in a spin. The leg-spinner put in a sparkling performance of 1/18 in his four-over spell, and was the only bowler in the Proteas attack who squeezed the Indian batters.
Rinku Singh (68* off 39, 9x4, 2x6) and Suryakumar Yadav (56 off 36, 5x4, 3x6) were key to India’s competitive 187/7 before rain intervened in the 20th over.
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