IND vs SA 3rd T20I: It was a seam-friendly encounter in Dharamsala, as India regained the series lead-2-1-against South Africa with a dominating win. The Indian bowlers bundled South Africa for just 117 runs, while an explosive start from Abhishek Sharma ensured a comfortable win despite the middle order woes in the chase. Early breakthroughs set the tone for India.
Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana Strike Early
With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, the pressure was on Arshdeep Singh and debutant Harshit Rana, and both responded excellently. Arshdeep set up the delivery to seam back in beautifully as Reeza Hendricks was trapped LBW. Rana then removed Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis to leave South Africa reeling at 7/3 in just 3.1 overs. The conditions were all seaming, and India used them to great effect.
Middle Overs: South Africa Find It Difficult to Get Back into the Game
Captain Aiden Markram held South Africa together with a gritty half-century but found little support. Hardik Pandya removed Tristan Stubbs with some subtle movement. Shivam Dube also struck in his first over, removing Corbin Bosch. On 30/4, South Africa was already in deep trouble.
Spin Choke: Varun Chakravarthy Dominates
Just as there was the remote possibility of a South African revival through Markram and Donovan Ferreira, Varun Chakravarthy intervened with telling effect. Figures of 2/11 in 4 overs shut the door on South Africa. Ferreira and Marco Jansen both fell to his deception from the wrong’ns. This spell ensured that South Africa never gained momentum.
Overs of Death: Arshdeep Finishes Strong
Rana was punished late by Markram to bring up his fifty and push his team past the 100-run mark. However, his dismissal in the 19th over edging Arshdeep ended any hopes of a competitive total. South Africa were eventually bowled out for 117, at least 20 runs short on a challenging pitch.
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IND vs SA Chase: Abhishek Sharma’s Fireworks
Chasing a modest target, Abhishek Sharma launched a fearless assault:
Pulled Lungi Ngidi for six off the first ball. Firstly, Marco Jansen and Ottneil Baartman in their usual comfort. He Scored 35 off just 18 balls, setting the tempo early. India raced to 50 inside five overs, well and truly ending the contest.
Middle Order Falters, Target Too Small
Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav did find conditions tricky – with some seam movement on offer, but the low target meant there was no real danger. Abhishek controlled the innings with India scoring 60 runs in 5.2 overs as he was at the crease. The rest of the chase was slow, and South Africa never looked like a threat.
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The talking points of the IND vs SA match
Arshdeep Singh bounced back strongly after a poor previous outing. Harshit Rana performed well in the absence of Bumrah. Varun Chakravarthy delivered a match-winning spell. Abhishek Sharma proved decisive with his powerplay aggression
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