De Kock fires up the old engine to drive Proteas to series-equalling T201 victory

QUINTON de Kock and the new-ball bowlers showed off the Proteas’ bouncebackability as the visitors levelled up the five-match series at 1-1 with a 51-run victory in the second T20I in New Chandigarh yesterday.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

After a two-ball duck a couple of days ago, De Kock showed the fickleness of the T20 game with a spectacular 90 off just 46 balls to power the Proteas to 213/4 after being inserted on a glorious batting surface at the Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium.

De Kock put himself right back in the frame for T20 World Cup selection, and the IPL shop window with the auction set to be held in a few days’ time in Abu Dhabi, with a scintillating innings that was kick-started with a couple of sixes off Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.

Unlike in Cuttack a couple of days ago, and during the ODI series when Arshdeep placed the Proteas batters under pressure, it was the left-arm seamer that was now feeling the heat.

With De Kock easing to his 17th T20I half-century off just 26 balls, Arshdeep was handed the ball in the 11th over to halt the flowing left-hander.