India assessed the conditions better than we did: Quinton de Kock
Put into bat in Mohali, De Kock gave South Africa a good start smashing a 37-ball 52, but following his departure, the innings tapered as they were restricted to 149/5 after 20 overs.
Quinton de Kock, who led South Africa for the first time in Twenty20 Internationals, conceded India read conditions much better following a seven-wicket defeat in the second T20I at Mohali on Wednesday.
South Africa, who arrived in the country one week prior to the series opener in Dharamsala, were geared up for that one, but as fate had it, the match ended was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
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Put into bat in Mohali, De Kock gave South Africa a good start smashing a 37-ball 52, but following his departure, the innings tapered as they were restricted to 149/5 after 20 overs.
The side included three debutants in Temba Bavuma, who missed out on a maiden T20I fifty by one run, left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and pacer Anrich Nortje.
READ: 2nd T20I: Kohli guides India to emphatic seven-wicket win
“We got off to a good start and towards the end they bowled pretty well and they assessed the conditions better than we did. There was a lot of pressure on some of the new guys and I think they did pretty well against this world-class opposition,” De Kock said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Defending their below par target, South Africa’s pacers Kagiso Rabada and Nortje were not to effective which is why De Kock was forced to take the second option – pace off the ball – which worked.
“KG (Kagiso Rabada) upfront tried to pick up wickets and unfortunately, with pace on the ball it looked easier to bat on and pace off the ball seemed to be the better option on this wicket. I was quite hungry to get out there and hopefully next time we do better than what we did today with the bat,” De Kock said.