India flex muscles in warm‑up win over Proteas

India reminded T20 World Cup trophy suitors how tough it will be to dethrone the defending champions on home soil, beating SA by 30 runs in a warm-up fixture in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

Granted, it was a friendly with a charity match feel to it, but there was nothing cordial about India’s assault as they posted 240 for five after winning the toss.

The Proteas, somewhat shell-shocked from the ground and aerial bombardment in the field, replied positively through Aiden Markram who retired on an imperious 38 off just 19 balls.

Ryan Rickelton also clubbed 44 from 21 as the majority of SA’s batters got among the runs, but the ask was too steep as they ended on 210 for seven.

They will have left the stadium tweaking their blueprint with which to attempt to rein in the Indians with the ball if they meet them again in the latter stages of the World Cup.

The Proteas bowlers were too one-paced up front. And the quicker and fuller they bowled, the more they were crashed to and over the fence.

The opening pair of Indian batters, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma, set the tone for the onslaught, taking 14 off the first over of the game, bowled by Lungi Ngidi.

Markram used four different bowlers in the first four overs, and when Anrich Nortje’s first over, the fifth of the innings, went for 29 runs, the Proteas knew they were up against it.

They would have been happy to see the back of Kishan when he retired, having reached 53 not out off only 20 balls.

But Tilak Varma replaced him and continued the carnage before Sharma also retired for 24.

Varma helped himself to 45 in 19 deliveries before he became SA’s first legitimate wicket, bowled by Marco Jansen behind his legs.

But India had already reached 147 after only 11 overs and were looking ominous.

With Keshav Maharaj sitting this one out along with Quinton de Kock, SA employed the spin of George Linde and Markram, but they went for a combined 47 in four overs.

Sky Yadav added a quick 30 while the 200 came up in the 16th over, albeit during a more subdued stand by Axar Patel (35 not out) and Rinku Singh (16).

A cameo of 30 in 10 by Hardik Panya ensured that India reached a formidable target and Ngidi was the pick of the SA bowlers, conceding only 23 in his three overs.

With De Kock resting, Linde was promoted to open the batting.

He lasted four uncomfortable deliveries before falling to Arshdeep Singh.

With that experiment out of the way, Markram and Rickelton looked good together, sharing 65 runs for the second wicket in five overs before Markram departed of his own free will, having struck four sixes and two fours.

Rickelton was aggressive, and he needed to be at 12 runs per over.

But he tried his luck once too often, attempting to slog spinner Varun Chakravarthy only to offer a skier to wicketkeeper Kishan.

Jason Smith showed some promise for his 35, Jansen employed his long levers to smash a quick-fire 31 and Tristan Stubbs hammered 45 not out at the death with the game already lost.

The T20 World Cup starts in India and Sri Lanka on Saturday, and SA play Canada in their opening fixture in Ahmedabad on Monday (3.30pm).

The Herald