Tilak Varma smashed a second successive T20 century and Sanju Samson a third in five innings as India pounded a mammoth 283-1 en route to clinching a 3-1 series win over South Africa.
Tilak backed up his 107 not out from 56 balls in Wednesday’s third match at Centurion with an unbeaten 120 from 47 in Friday’s Johannesburg finale as India romped to a 135-run victory, after later dismissing South Africa for 148.
Tilak and Samson (109no off 56 balls) thumped an unbroken second-wicket partnership 210 from 86 balls after Samson had put on 73 from 35 deliveries with opening partner Abishek Sharma (36 off 18) in a staggering display of hitting at Wanderers.
The 23 sixes combined that Tilak (10), Samson (9) and Abishek (4) hit in Johannesburg was the joint-third most in a T20 international innings, behind only the 27 Zimbabwe amassed when they struck a total of 344 against The Gambia in October and the 26 Nepal thumped against Mongolia.
Hundred, hundred, duck, duck, hundred!
Samson’s recent T20 international form has been extraordinary.
The 30-year-old cracked back-back hundreds across the final game of a series at home to Bangladesh in October and the opening T20 against South Africa in Durban.
But he then recorded consecutive ducks against the Proteas in Gqeberha and Centurion, dismissed first and second ball respectively, before smoking a ton on Friday.
South Africa slumped to 10-4 in three overs in reply as seamer Arshdeep Singh struck three times and moved to within one of spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s record 96 T20 scalps for India.
The left-armer bowled Reeza Hendricks (1) with a beauty and then had opposition skipper Aiden Markram (8) caught before pinning the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen lbw for a golden duck next ball.
Tristan Stubbs (43 off 29) and David Miller (36 off 27) rescued South Africa from complete embarrassment with an alliance of 86 from 54 balls, while Marco Jansen added 29 not out off 12 deliveries.
Focus switches to Test cricket for India and South Africa
India had won the first game of the series in Durban by 61 runs, before the home side drew level with victory in a low-scoring thriller in Gqeberha two days later.
The tourists then snatched an 11-run win at Centurion after fending off South Africa’s pursuit of 220 for victory.
India’s next action is a five-Test series in Australia, starting in Perth on November 22, while South Africa will now host Sri Lanka for a two-Test series, beginning in Durban on November 27.
South Africa’s games against Sri Lanka are live on Sky Sports, and so, too, are their three T20s, three one-day internationals and two Tests at home to Pakistan across December and January.
