2nd T20I: Rinku, Surya fire India to 180/7 against South Africa before rain interrupts play

GQEBERHA: Rinku Singh enhanced his credentials as a finisher with a maiden half-century while skipper Suryakumar Yadav played in his inimitable way to take India to 180 for seven in the second T20 against South Africa here on Tuesday.

Put into bat, India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) and Shubman Gill (0) for six runs before Surya (56 off 36) led front the front and forged fine partnerships with Tilak Varma (29 off 20) and then Rinku (68 not out off 39). Rain arrived at St George's Park with three balls left in the innings and Gerald Coetzee on a hat trick, having got rid of Ravindra Jadeja and Arshdeep Singh.

Playing for the first time in South Africa, Rinku took his time initially before working the field beautifully. His square of the wicket shots stood out in his well paced innings including fours and two straight sixes off Aiden Markram.

Coming in at number three, Varma looked good in the middle before getting caught at deep third man in the sixth over.

What followed was a 70-run stand between Surya and Rinku. Surya played like he usually does, collecting a chunk of his runs behind the wicket.

His three sixes came as he got inside the line of the ball to send the ball over the ropes. Two were in the fine leg region and one over midwicket. It was not the smoothest of starts for India, who lost Jaiswal and Gill in the first two overs.

Jaiswal could not control the cut short against Marco Jansen to be brilliantly caught by David Miller at backward point.

rma could have departed in similar fashion two balls later but Miller could not hold on to that sharp chance.

ll was trapped in front by Lizaad Williams who got the ball to nip back from length.

Despite the initial pressure, the Indian batters kept batting aggressively.