India win third T20I by 7 wickets to take 2-1 lead in series

Dubai: India sealed a comfortable 7-wicket win over South Africa in the third T20I at the at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala, on Sunday.

Chasing a modest target of 118, opener Abhishek Sharma top scored with 35 off 18 balls while Shubman Gill chipped in with 28 while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 26 to guide India home in the 15.5 overs.

Earlier, India’s seamers and spinners combined to bowl out South Africa for 117 in 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav picked two wickets apiece, while Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube chipped in with a scalp each, as the visitors never recovered from being 30/4 inside seven overs in seam-bowling friendly conditions.

Captain Aiden Markram fought hard with a fluent 61 off 46 balls, but found little support as only Donovon Ferreira (20) and Anrich Nortje (12) reached double figures, as India’s attack remained relentless despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel.

Having gone for runs in the previous outing, Arshdeep struck early to give India the perfect start. The left-arm pacer found movement to beat the outside edge of Reeza Hendricks twice, before nipping one back to trap the opener lbw, with the DRS also confirming the same.

India struck again when Quinton de Kock missed a full straight delivery from Rana while playing across the line, and was trapped lbw. In his next over, Rana struck again when Dewald Brevis went for a cover drive, but chopped onto his stumps.

Pandya joined the 100-wicket club in T20Is — and the third bowler from India to reach the landmark — as Tristan Stubbs attempted to guide a back-of-length delivery pitched outside off stump towards third man, but only managed to nick behind to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma.

India’s seamers continued to dominate under lights when Dube got one to cut back in sharply and flatten Corbin Bosch’s leg-stump. Amidst the carnage, Markram timed his drives, punches and flicks well, while Ferreira briefly fought back with a towering no-look six off Kuldeep Yadav and a pulled four through midwicket against Dube, though he was also given a reprieve when Arshdeep dropped him at long-on.

But Ferreira’s aggressive approach ended when a googly from Chakaravarthy beat him comprehensively and rattled the stumps. In his next over, Chakaravarthy castled Marco Jansen through the gate with another lethal googly. Markram marched forward to pick a four off Dube, thanks to misfielding in the deep, before slicing, swinging, and lofting Rana for a four and two sixes, which also brought up his fifty in 41 balls.

But his innings soon ended in an anticlimactic fashion as he nicked behind off Arshdeep to Jitesh while going for an expansive drive. Birthday boy Kuldeep rounded off the innings by dismissing Anrich Nortje and Ottniel Baartman in the final over to keep South Africa three runs short of 120.