IND vs SA: Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar give India its third-best T20I PowerPlay bowling performance

This was India’s third best bowling performance in the PowerPlay in T20Is. Its best came against Afghanistan at the 2022 Asia Cup, when Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep restricted Mohammad Nabi’s men to 21 for five.

India’s Arshdeep Singh celebrates the dismissal of South Africa’s David Miller. | Photo Credit: AP

In a sensational burst of swing bowling, Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh rattled South Africa and restricted it to 30 for five inside the PowerPlay at the Greefield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

This is India’s third best bowling performance in the PowerPlay in T20Is. Its best came against Afghanistan at the 2022 Asia Cup, when Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep restricted Mohammad Nabi’s men to 21 for five after six overs. Earlier, in 2016 at Visakhapatnam, India had kept Sri Lanka to 29 for five in the PowerPlay.

South Africa’s slide began in the first over when Chahar cleaned up captain Temba Bavuma with an in-swinger that went through the batter’s bat and pad. Arshdeep took three wickets in the second over. Quinton de Kock chopped on playing away from the body before Rilee Rossouw and David Miller fell off the fifth and sixth deliveries of the over, respectively.

Chahar took the fifth wicket of the PowerPlay off the third ball of the third over when Tristan Stubbs guided a short ball to the third man fielder. Aiden Markram and Wayne Parnell kept further damage at bay as South Africa ended the PowerPlay with 30 runs on the board and half its side back in the hut.