South Africa Levels Series with Resounding Victory over India in 2nd ODI, Tony de Zorzi Impresses with Bat
India dominated the first ODI in Johannesburg, but South Africa roared back with a convincing 8-wicket win in the second ODI at St George’s Park, chasing down a modest 212. The star of the show was Tony de Zorzi, who slammed his maiden ODI century in front of a packed crowd, leveling the series for South Africa.
On a typical sun-baked wicket, runs weren’t easy to come by for India. Ruturaj Gaikwad fell early, and Tilak Varma gifted his wicket away after showing some resilience. Nandre Burger, in his second ODI, shone with 3 wickets for just 30 runs.
Every South African bowler exploited the pitch’s assistance, keeping the Indian batsmen under pressure. While Sai Sudarshan and KL Rahul partnered for a promising 68 runs, the rest of the Indian batting failed to contribute significantly.
READ MORE: India Crushes South Africa in Johannesburg ODI
After Rahul’s dismissal at 167, a collapse ensued, with India adding only 44 runs for the loss of the last 5 wickets. Keshav Maharaj ripped through the lower order, who seemed clueless in navigating these challenging conditions.
From India’s perspective, it was another lost opportunity for Sanju Samson. Arriving at a crucial juncture after Sudarshan’s beautiful half-century, Samson managed only 12 runs before being bowled by Beuran Hendricks.
South Africa’s Trouble-Free Chase
With 211 on the board, South Africa was always favorites at home. Any lingering Indian hope was quickly dashed by the 130-run opening stand between Reeza Hendricks and Tony de Zorzi. Hendricks departed after scoring a half-century, but by then, the win was a mere formality.
de Zorzi remained unbeaten throughout, finishing the match with a six over mid-wicket. The young opener, who is expected to be a mainstay in the South African batting lineup for years to come, played a truly convincing innings.
After a disappointing performance with the bat a couple of days ago, South Africa showed remarkable fighting spirit to bounce back. Captain Aiden Markram expressed his satisfaction, saying, “A lot better than a couple of days ago. Much better all-round performance. It was still a tough wicket to chase, and for the openers to bat like that was fantastic.”
