India's 124/6, a target that initially looked modest, ended up posing serious challenges for South Africa thanks to a valiant five-wicket haul by Varun Chakravarthy (5/17), who nearly pulled off an incredible defence with a spell full of guile and precision. In the end, however, it was Tristan Stubbs' composed knock of 47* off 41 and Gerald Coetzee's late fireworks that helped South Africa level the series at 1-1. India vs South Africa, 2nd T20I: How Did the Men in Blue Perform? Sent in to bat first, India faltered from the start, losing Sanju Samson for a duck after Marco Jansen delivered an excellent yorker that uprooted his stumps. Abhishek Sharma continued his poor form, and when Suryakumar Yadav fell to Andile Simelane, India found themselves struggling at 15/3 in four overs. Tilak Varma and Axar Patel attempted to rebuild, crafting a 30-run partnership that showed promise until David Miller took a stunning overhead catch to dismiss Varma. Patel's steady innings ended in unfortunate fashion, as a deflection off Nqaba Peter's hand at the non-striker's end resulted in his run-out for a well-played 37. Hardik Pandya's late burst brought some respectability to India's score as he pushed the team past 120 with a few quick boundaries against Jansen. Defending 124, India got an early breakthrough when Arshdeep Singh dismissed Ryan Rickelton for 13. Chakravarthy then spun his web, taking quick wickets to leave South Africa struggling at 34/2 in the powerplay. His dismissal of Jansen, Hendricks, Markram, and even the dangerous Klaasen and Miller in quick succession pushed South Africa onto the back foot. At 67/6, India appeared to be on course for a dramatic win. However, 24-year-old Stubbs showed maturity beyond his years, absorbing the pressure and picking his moments to attack. With Coetzee providing vital support by scoring 19 off 9, Stubbs calmly guided South Africa home with six balls to spare. Chakravarthy's brilliant spell raised questions about India's batting and captaincy decisions, especially with Suryakumar Yadav's choice not to give Axar Patel more overs in the death. Pandya's slow start with the bat also meant India fell short of an additional 20 runs, which could have made all the difference. The series now stands at 1-1, with both teams looking ahead to the third match in Centurion on November 13. India will need a sharper performance in all departments to regain the series lead.