Winning the toss and opting to bowl first in overcast conditions proved to be a masterstroke for the Proteas, as their pacers made early breakthroughs.
The spinners then compounded India’s struggles, with Hardik Pandya (39*) and Axar Patel (27*) leading the way to a modest total of 124.
Although it seemed like a chaseable target, the game took a dramatic turn as India crumbled under the spell of Varun Chakravarthy.
The mystery spinner was the star, claiming a memorable five-wicket haul by dismissing Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller in the same over.
Chakravarthy’s spell began with the clean dismissal of Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, and Marco Jansen in his first three overs. He then targeted Klaasen in the 13th over, tempting him with a fuller delivery outside off, which was easily caught by Rinku Singh at long-off.
The very next ball saw Miller misjudge a length delivery, and his off-stump was shattered as the ball spun past his outside edge. Chakravarthy’s wrong’un, pitched on middle stump, had just enough turn to outfox the left-hander.
— Pandit Pranoob (@pranoob76889) November 10, 2024
His brilliant performance turned the match on its head, earning widespread acclaim on social media for the Tamil Nadu spinner’s skill and composure on the international stage.