Dinesh Karthik became the oldest Indian to reach 50 runs in T20Is with a half-century at 37 years and 16 days (against South Africa, 2022).
When MS Dhoni scored 50 runs against South Africa in 2018, he was 36 years and 229 days old. Shikhar Dhawan, the third-oldest, achieved the feat against Australia in 2020 at the age of 35 years and one day.
At 81/4 after 12.5 overs, India had their backs against the wall and Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya had a massive task on their hands.
Their stand of 65 off only 33 deliveries injected some much-needed momentum in what was a meek effort till that point. Pandya scored 46 off only 31 before being dismissed by Ngidi, with Shamsi taking a brilliant catch. Dinesh Karthik would continue in the same vein despite losing his partner, bringing up his maiden T20I fifty.
He would immediately walk back afterwards, attempting a big slog-sweep against Dwaine Pretorius, but it was a job well done in a knock of 55. India managed to score 73 runs in their last five overs, ending up with a highly competitive score of 169/6, largely due to the efforts of the pair. In reply, India bundled the Proteas to merely 87.
Following India's 82-run triumph, the series is now perfectly poised for a thrilling conclusion in Bengaluru. South Africa was outstanding in the first two games, but the hosts came back with a vengeance to tie the game.
On June 19, the fifth and final match will be held in the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, with no clear champion. With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, a pressure cooker situation will be ideal preparation for both teams as they head to Australia.
(With ANI inputs)
