Twitter Reactions: Linde, Rabada and Shamsi break the spine of West Indies batting order to level T20I series

South Africa fought back well and won the second game of the five-match T20I series against the West Indies. It was also their first win under skipper Temba Bavuma in the shortest format. The victory was indeed a hard-fought one as Bavuma was criticized by experts for his tactics in the first T20I. But this time, the diminutive skipper learned his lessons well and was able to constantly apply pressure on the West Indies batters.

After a clinical display with the bat in the first game, the Caribbean batters were in for a rude shock this time around. South Africa bowlers, led by spinners George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi, didn’t let the opposition batters play freely. They shared three wickets between them and perfectly applied spin choke.

South African pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada was impressive as well with three wickets upfront to help give his team a 16-run win over the hosts. It was indeed a collective effort from the South African bowlers which led them to victory.

Chasing 167 for the win, West Indies batters set the chase beautifully when they were placed 62 for two in the ninth over. But rather than finishing off the job with ease, the batters lost the plot in the next 11 overs and gave away seven wickets to falter in a run-chase.

South Africa batters start well in the power play

The Proteas batters started well in the power play as they scored 69 runs and didn’t lose a wicket. Reeza Hendricks (42) and Quinton de Kock (26) laid the foundation for the visitors with a solid start. Skipper Bavuma (46) ensured the duo’s efforts didn’t go waste as he enabled South Africa to pots a challenging 166 onboard.

After a poor outing in the first T20I, off-spinner Linde put on a much more disciplined performance and picked up two crucial wickets. His four overs for only 19 runs didn’t allow the WI batters to play freely. He was also well supported by Shamsi who picked one wicket and gave away just 16 runs. The series now stands one all with the third T20I set to begin on 30th June.

Here’s how Twitter reacted: