Vice-captain Rassie van der Dussen welcomes the successful execution of the Proteas’ dismissal of the dangerous Rishabh Pant during Sunday’s third and final T20I victory over India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Pant moved to a promising 19 before holing out to long-off fielder Andile Phehlukwayo off the bowling of spinner Bjorn Fortuin. Pant’s departure effectively sparked a collapse that had the tourists slipping from 90-3 to a final 134-9.

‘It was a clear plan against Pant. When he tries to go for boundaries, he looks at long-on, cow corner for the slog-sweep. So when he tries to attack, the spinners also try to attack and Bjorn executed that plan perfectly,’ said Van der Dussen.

‘Bjorn is a bowler for the big occasion. We’ve seen it a lot of times back home and maybe now the international crowds are seeing that.’

The Proteas’ successful pursuit of a 135-run target, with 19 deliveries, was led by captain Quinton de Kock’s commanding 79 not out. De Kock was well supported by Temba Bavuma, whose second innings in T20I cricket yielded a cool, calm and collected 23 not out. He had struck 49 on debut in the second T20I in Mohali earlier in the week.

‘Temba has obviously come in and done well. He has played a lot of good T20 cricket in South Africa, so this stage was never going to be too big for him,’ added Van der Dussen.

‘In the last year or two, he has improved his white-ball cricket, so I am not surprised Temba came in and did well. He is excellent at playing spin, too, so the slow wickets that were prepared for us, he was quite adept at playing on them.’

India and the Proteas shared the three-match T20I series 1-1. The first T20I in Dharamsala was washed out without a delivery bowled. They will contest three Tests in October.

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