"They were sitting...": Suryakumar Yadav denies VVS Laxman-led staff credit for India's SA T20I series win

The Suryakumar Yadav-led India went head-to-head with the Aiden Markram-led South Africa in the fourth and final T20I at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday, November 15.

Suryakumar Yadav's India National Cricket Team dominantly won the match by 135 runs against South Africa National Cricket Team to seal the series 3-1.

Also Read: Nitish Reddy to debut as India playing XI for Perth Test against Australia announced by Ravi Shastri

India hammered South Africa in 4th T20I

India won the toss and opted to bat first. They posted a huge score of 283/1, thanks to the dominant performances from Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma.

Both the players smashed sensational centuries and demolished the Proteas bowling attack. Tilak Varma finished his innings with the score of 120 runs and Samson ended up with 109. Notably, both the players remained unbeaten.

While defending the total, Arshdeep Singh bagged three early wickets and pushed South Africa on the back foot early on. The Indian bowlers kept bowling brilliantly throughout the innings and picked up wickets at regular intervals to bowl South Africa out for 148 runs.

There's no secret to adapting to the conditions - Suryakumar Yadav

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that they had very clear plans in place for the series against South Africa. Suryakumar Yadav said:

"There's no secret to adapting to the conditions. Our plans were very clear as soon as we landed in Durban. Though we were up 2-1 in the series, today we wanted to follow the good habits and not worry about the result. It happened naturally."

Suryakumar Yadav further said that heading into the series against South Africa on the back of T20 World Cup win earlier in the year, did boost their confidence. He said:

"It's very difficult for me to choose one good knock from them, we spoke about that and they literally walked the talk. When we toured last year, we knew there was something in this wicket once the lights were on and the temperature dropped.

"It gives a big boost if you are winning any ICC tournament. It was difficult to sum up what goes through our minds when we won there. It is very challenging when we tour South Africa, this is a special win and will stay with me forever."

Suryakumar Yadav signed off by talking about the role of VVS Laxman-led coaching staff in India's series win. He said that the coaches were just enjoying the show and they gave a free hand to the players.

"They (coaching staff) were sitting and enjoying the show, they spoke to the boys and said whatever you want, you do, we will sit and enjoy. Even today, they said if you want to bat first and put runs on the board, do it," Suryakumar Yadav said.

How India Performed in Previous 3 Matches Against South Africa?

India showcased a largely dominant performance in their previous three T20I encounters against South Africa. The first match in Durban saw an outstanding 107-run innings from Sanju Samson, helping India set a daunting total of 202.

The Indian bowlers responded well, bundling out South Africa for 141 in just 17.5 overs, with Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi shining as India earned a 61-run victory.

In the second T20I in Gqeberha, India lost a low-scoring contest. After a shaky start and losing early wickets, Hardik Pandya's steady 39 took India to a total of 124. South Africa capitalized on the chase, although Varun Chakravarthy’s impressive spell of 5/17 kept India in the fight. Despite his efforts, South Africa clinched the game with three wickets in hand.

The third match in Centurion saw India bounce back strongly, with Tilak Varma's unbeaten 107 off 56 balls lifting them to 219. Indian bowlers, led by Arshdeep Singh, held their nerve as South Africa fell short by 11 runs despite the heroics of Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen.