Chandigarh, Dec. 12 -- It was a perfect setting for the Indian batting to show their might. The 214-run target was challenging but with good batting conditions on offer and plenty of December dew, it promised a good contest. However, India crumbled to a 51-run defeat with the visitors levelling the five-match series 1-1. Local boys Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma came out to bat and before one could even blink, they were back in the pavilion, falling to the pace and bounce of an inspired South African fast bowling show. Gill, whose T20 selection is now under the scanner, lasted just a ball. Incidentally, Abhishek, who now seems to be under pressure with fast bowlers peppering him with short balls aimed at his throat, also failed. India lost their heart. But what signalled the Indian dressing room's helplessness was the promotion of Axar Patel at No.3, who made 21 runs off 21 balls, seemingly to protect a woefully out-of-form skipper Suryakumar Yadav (5). That too turned out to be a mirage and his lack of confidence meant he didn't last long. At 32/3, India were in big trouble. "We just thought in the last game, we have seen Axar bat really well in the longer format. And we wanted him to bat back the same way today as well," skipper Suryakumar said of Axar's promotion. Tilak Verma showed fight during his 62-run stay but he was fighting not just the South African challenge but also the inability of the rest of the Indian batting order. Axar (21) couldn't get going and Hardik (20) couldn't conjure another miracle today. Tilak was last man out, hitting two fours and five sixes during his knock but the collapse left India with more questions than answers barely a few months before they begin their defence of the World Cup title. The Indian bowling didn't fare much better either. The very fact that Arshdeep Singh - who also bowled seven wides in one over to finish with figures of 0/54, and Jasprit Bumrah (0/45) conceded 99 in their 8 overs meant it wasn't a good day for the attack. On the contrary, South Africa were right on target with their bowling from the get go with Ottneil Baartman (4/24) leading the way. Earlier, Quinton de Kock's sheer brilliance with the bat set the ball rolling for the visitors. The 32-year-old produced a dazzling exhibition of ball-striking, hitting 90 off just 46 balls to help his team post 213/4 after being put in to bat first. Dismissed for a duck in the first T20I in Cuttack, he made most of the second outing. His innings ended in the 16th over when a quick piece of work from wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma resulted in a run-out, denying him a well-deserved century. On a surface offering true bounce and a rapid outfield, the experienced left-hander was in complete command from the outset, punishing anything marginally off-length. Varun Chakravarthy (2/29) removed opener Reeza Hendricks on the first ball of the fifth over for eight. Thereafter, captain Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock took it upon themselves to give the SA innings some legs. De Kock's knock laced with cracking pulls and lofted drives kept India under relentless pressure despite occasional breakthroughs. He reached his half-century with ease and continued accelerating, ensuring the Proteas maintained a run rate well above nine through most of the innings. Arshdeep's 11th over will be one he will want to forget as quickly as possible. The left-arm pacer bowled seven wides in a single over which eventually went for 18 runs. Chakravarthy was the most effective bowler for India, dismissing Markram and Reeza Hendricks (8). India, however, failed to pull things back when de Kock got out but Donovan Ferreira (30 off 16) and David Miller (20 off 12) made sure South Africa got past the 200-run mark....