Shikhar Dhawan started his post-match presentation in a hilarious manner, thanking his counterpart Keshav Maharaj for choosing to bat first after winning the toss in the second ODI between India and South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday.
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South Africa posted a total of 278 on the board, batting for 50 overs, but India chased it down comfortably with seven wickets and 25 balls to spare. The series was leveled at 1-1 with the final match in Delhi gaining all the importance.
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“The toss Worked perfectly well for us, thanks to Keshav that he chose to bat (smiles). Glad that dew came in at the right time,” Dhawan said at the presentation as he burst into laughter alongside host Murali Karthik.
Shikhar Dhawan then applauded Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer for batting exceptionally well and building a terrific partnership in the match. He also lauded the bowling unit for their brilliant performance against South Africa.
“Ishan and Shreyas batted so well, that partnership was so nice to watch. It was coming on nicely, but it stayed low. The plan was to take on the bowlers in the first 10 overs as we knew it could get difficult in the middle overs. When the dew came, you could see that it got easier, Dhawan said."
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“Very satisfied with the bowling unit, they are all young and these are good learnings for them. Especially Shahbaz. All the young boys, I’m so proud that they showed so much maturity.”
Chasing the target openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill scored 13 and 28 runs respectively. However, Shreyas Iyer’s outstanding 113* runs knock and Ishan Kishan’s stunning 93 runs knock helped India chase down the target and level the series 1-1. The series decider will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Tuesday.
