Dharamsala, India - India dominated South Africa in the third T20I at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Sunday, securing a convincing seven-wicket victory and taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. After winning the toss and electing to field, India's bowlers dismantled the South African batting lineup, restricting them to a paltry 117. India then chased down the target in just 15.5 overs, showcasing their batting depth and securing a comfortable win.
The tone for the match was set early by India's pace attack, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana making full use of the conditions. Singh dismissed Reeza Hendricks for a duck in the very first over, while Rana followed up by removing Quinton de Kock for just 1. Rana further compounded South Africa's woes by cleaning up Dewald Brevis's stumps, leaving the visitors reeling at 7/3.
South African captain Aiden Markram offered some resistance, scoring a fighting 61 off 46 balls. However, he found little support from the other batsmen as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Hardik Pandya reached his 100th T20I wicket by dismissing Tristan Stubbs. Varun Chakravarthy also reached a milestone, securing his 50th T20I wicket. Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav all took two wickets each, ensuring that South Africa never recovered from their poor start. South Africa were eventually bowled out for 117 in their 20 overs.
Chasing a target of 118, India got off to a flying start thanks to Abhishek Sharma's aggressive batting. Sharma smashed 35 off just 18 balls, including three fours and three sixes. Shubman Gill provided solid support with 28 off 28 balls. Although South Africa managed to slow down the scoring briefly, India remained in control throughout the chase. Shivam Dube ultimately sealed the victory with a boundary, finishing the chase with an unbeaten 10 off 4 balls. Tilak Varma also contributed with a valuable 26 not out.
Arshdeep Singh was named Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance. He stated that he focused on sticking to the basics and trusting his skillset, pitching the ball in the right areas and exploiting the assistance offered by the wicket.
India's victory was set up by their dominant bowling performance, which capitalized on the conditions in Dharamsala. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who was unavailable for personal reasons, did not hinder the team's performance, as Harshit Rana stepped up and made a significant impact. Every bowler chipped in with wickets.
With this win, India has taken a crucial 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The fourth T20I will be played in Lucknow on Wednesday.
