South Africa's Quinton de Kock reveals reason behind fine record against India

New Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], December 11 (ANI): Following his fiery 90-run knock against India in the second T20I, South Africa's wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock said that he tries to "make it count" once he gets going and getting to play against India so many times on batting-friendly surfaces has helped him maintain a fine record against India.

Quinton continued his fine record against India, blazing his way to a 46-ball 90 before a late blitz from David Miller and Donovan Ferreira set India up 214 runs to win, which they failed to chase down with Proteas pacers consistently striking. Against India across all the formats, he has scored 1,914 runs in 43 matches and 40 innings at an average of 40.72, with eight centuries, seven sixes and a best score of 135.

Speaking about his knock and record against India after the match, de Kock reflected, "It is just happening, low and high scores. When I do get going, I try and make it count. I think it is because we play each other so many times, and on good wickets. Arshdeep's (Singh) got me out plenty of times. It was just a technical thing to be aware of, and then play naturally."

Against India in T20Is, QDK has made 441 runs in 12 innings at an average of 44.10, with best score of 90, strike rate of 146.51 and five fifties.

De Kock said the wicket was slow up front, and new batters would have found it harder to score big runs.

"It was just a matter of me and skipper Aiden Markram holding on and then building a stand. When India batted, it went the other way - two paced with more pace. That was the difference," he concluded.

Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. A quickfire 90 in 46 balls, with five fours and seven sixes by Quinton and brilliant finish from Ferreira (30* in 16 balls, with a four and three sixes) and Miller (20* in 12 balls, with two fours and a six), who put on a 53-run stand towards the end in just 23 balls, took SA to 213/4 in 20 overs.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy (2/29) was the pick of the bowlers for India, while Bumrah (0/45) and Arshdeep Singh (0/54) had an off-colour day.

During the chase, India sank to 32/3 after a top-order failure. Tilak Varma (62 in 33 balls, with two fours and five sixes) got some support from Hardik Pandya (20 in 23 balls, with a six) and Jitesh Sharma (27 in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes), but it was not enough as India was skittled out for 162 runs in 19.1 overs, with pacer Ottneil Baartman (4/24) being the top bowler.(ANI)

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