Ahmedabad | Skipper Suryakumar Yadav's poor run with the bat continued but India still managed a massive 231 for 5 thanks to Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya's blazing half-centuries and Sanju Samson's useful contribution at the top in the fifth and final T20 International here on Saturday.
Samson, who opened the batting in place of the injured vice-captain Shubman Gill, struck a 22-ball 37 and shared a 63-run stand with Abhishek Sharma (34 off 21 balls) as the hosts, leading the series 2-1, were off to a fine start.
Abhishek and later Samson's dismissals did not slow down the momentum as Varma (73 off 42 balls) continued to play his natural game even as Suryakumar (5) departed without making much of a contribution.
Varma and Hardik Pandya (63 off 25 balls) then shared a 115-run stand for the fourth wickets to carry the team past the 200-run mark, with the latter hammering five boundaries and as many sixes at a strike rate of over 250.
Earlier, India included pacer Jasprit Bumrah in place of Harshit Rana, while Washington Sundar came in for Kuldeep Yadav. Samson was included in place of Shubman Gill.
Brief scores.
India 231 for 5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 34, Sanju Samson 37, Tilak Varma 73, Hardik Pandya 63; Corbin Bosch 2/44).
Scoreboard of the fifth T20I between India and South Africa here on Saturday.
India:
Sanju Samson b Linde 37
Abhishek Sharma c de Kock b Bosch 34
Tilak Varma run out 73
Suryakumar Yadav c Miller b Bosch 5
Hardik Pandya c Hendricks b Baartman 63
Shivam Dube not out 10
Jitesh Sharma not out 0
Extras: (LB-3, W-6) 9
Total (For 5 wkts, 20 overs) 231
Fall of wkts: 1-63, 2-97, 3-115, 4-220, 5-227.
Bowling: Lungi Ngidi 4-0-29-0, Marco Jansen 4-0-50-0, Ottneil Baartman 3-0-39-1, Corbin Bosch 3-0-44-2, Donovan Ferreira 2-0-20-0, George Linde 4-0-46-1