India produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting and extraordinary bowling to defeat South Africa by 30 runs in the fifth and final T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, clinching the series 3-1 in emphatic fashion. The duo of Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma was the cornerstone of India's thumping victory, blazing sensational half-centuries and tearing apart the South African bowling attack with fearless attack.
India, after being asked to bat, got off to a blistering start as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson set the tone during the powerplay. Abhishek struck a beautiful 34 off just 21 balls, while Samson followed suit with a fluent 37 from 22 deliveries. In the middle overs, momentum intensified when Tilak Varma took centre stage. He smashed a magnificent 73 off 42 balls, peppering the boundary with 10 fours and launching one six. Later, Hardik Pandya unleashed destruction.
The ever-reliable all-rounder played one of the most explosive innings, racing to his half-century in just 16 balls, the second-fastest by an Indian in T20Is. Hardik finished with a brilliant 63 off 25 deliveries, propelling India to a formidable total of 231/5 in 20 overs.
In reply, South Africa began their chase with promise as Quinton de Kock played a massive counter-attacking innings. The left-hander looked in sublime touch, hammering 65 and giving the visitors hope of an unlikely chase. However, once de Kock fell, the innings lost direction. The Indian bowlers tightened the screws, stopping the flow of runs. South Africa suddenly suffered a dramatic collapse, finishing on 201/8 in 20 overs. Varun Chakravarthy was India's star with the ball, taking a four-wicket haul.