Tilak Varma (120* off 47) and Sanju Samson (109* off 56) established numerous records, leading India to a commanding 135-run victory over South Africa in the fourth T20I held in Johannesburg. Choosing to bat first, the pair formed an impressive partnership of 210 runs, propelling India to a total of 283 for 1, which set a new record for the highest score at the venue by a margin of 23 runs.
Sanju Samson's and Tilak Varma's carnage destroys South Africa's bowling lineup
The day was clearly dominated by Tilak and Samson, who overwhelmed South Africa’s bowlers with their seamless and powerful strokeplay. Abhishek Sharma contributed significantly with a brisk 36 runs off 18 balls, providing an early boost as he and Samson helped the visitors achieve a commendable 73-run total during the PowerPlay.
Abhishek was dismissed in the sixth over; however, the opening partnership had established a strong foundation for Tilak to maintain the aggressive approach. Having recently achieved his first T20I century in the preceding match, Tilak commenced his innings with vigor, striking boundaries and sixes with remarkable skill. In contrast, Samson, who had initially begun his innings with enthusiasm, appeared to be progressing at a slower pace compared to Tilak’s assertive play.
South Africa struggled to respond to the explosive performances of the duo, who consistently targeted the short square boundaries at the venue. The significantly larger straight dimensions of the ground did not prevent them from clearing the ropes over wide long-off and long-on. A temporary injury to Gerald Coetzee prompted captain Aiden Markram to bowl a few overs himself, given the uncertainty regarding the fast bowler’s return to the match.
The home team suffered significantly as Samson and Tilak aggressively targeted the part-time bowler, accumulating 30 runs in just two overs. Every bowler who entered the attack received similar treatment, with even the seasoned Keshav Maharaj unable to stem the flow of runs. The speed of the blitzkrieg was such that India reached a total of 219 by the conclusion of the 15th over, matching their score from the previous T20I. At that juncture, the prospect of reaching 300 appeared feasible; however, South Africa’s bowlers performed somewhat more effectively in the latter stages, conceding only 64 runs from the final 30 deliveries. India concluded the innings with a score of 283/1.
On most occasions, this remains a costly outcome; however, the comparative nature of India’s scoring rate during the initial 15 overs indicated that the South African bowlers had somewhat managed to control the situation. Nevertheless, the harm had already been inflicted, as both Tilak and Samson reached their individual centuries. For Tilak, this marked his second consecutive century, making him and his partner the only two Indians to achieve back-to-back centuries in this format.
South Africa's nonchalant batting performance
The pursuit never appeared plausible, and Arshdeep extinguished any aspirations of a miraculous turnaround with his exceptional new-ball performance, which proved nearly unplayable for the majority of the time. Under the lights, the ball swung dramatically, and the left-arm pacer skillfully controlled it, dismantling South Africa’s top order.
Reeza Hendicks was dismissed without scoring, while Aiden Markram’s struggles persisted as he fell victim to a misplayed shot. Earlier, Ryan Rickelton had also been dismissed, edging a delivery from Pandya to the wicketkeeper. The decisive moment came when Heinrich Klaasen was trapped LBW by a sharply rising delivery that kept low, leaving the team at 11 for 4. An ignominious defeat of significant magnitude appeared imminent.
Tristan Stubbs (43), David Miller (36), and Jansen (29* off 12) showcased their batting prowess with some powerful strokes, bringing South Africa close to the 150-run threshold. Despite this effort, the team faced a significant defeat, although the final margin could have been considerably larger. Once India established their formidable total, the outcome was inevitable. Arshdeep Singh (3-20) delivered a sharp opening spell under the lights, complemented by Hardik Pandya (1-8), which left South Africa reeling at 10 for 4. Subsequently, the focus shifted to minimizing the defeat margin, but ultimately, the hosts fell well short of their target.
Records made in the 4th T20I held in Johannesburg:
- Sanju Samson in 2024 became the first player to score three centuries in T20 Internationals in a calendar year. His last five innings in T20Is read: 111, 107, 0, 0, and 109*.
- Tilak Varma became just the fifth player to score hundreds in successive innings in T20Is following Gustav Mckeon of France, Rilee Rossouw, Phil Salt and Sanju Samson. He became the second player to do so against the same opposition after Salt, whose efforts came against West Indies last year.
- 283/1Â by India is the fifth highest total in all T20Is and the second highest against a Full Member team after India’s 297/6 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad last month. It is also the highest total in a T20 on South African soil, bettering Titans’ 271/3 against Knights in Potchefstroom in 2022.
- 210*Â The partnership between Samson and Varma is the highest ever for any wicket for India as well as the highest against South Africa for any wicket. It is also the first 200-plus stand for any wicket by any team for second wicket or below. Their partnership run rate of 14.82 is the second best for a 150+ stand in T20Is against a Full Member side behind 173 off 69 balls (RR 15.04) between Samson and Suryakumar Yadav against Bangladesh in Hyderabad last month.
- 36 wickets by Arshdeep Singh in 2024 makes him the second highest wicket taker in a calendar year for India in T20Is one scalp behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar in 2022. Among Full Member sides, only Joshua Little has taken more – 39 wickets in 2022.
SCORECARD: India 283/1 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 120*, Sanju Samson 109; Lutho Sipamla 1-58) beat South Africa 148 in 18.2 overs (Tristan Stubbs 43, David Miller 36; Arshdeep Singh 3-20, Axar Patel 2-6) by 135 runs.
