India’s bowlers made full use of the seam-friendly conditions in the Himalayan foothills to hand South Africa a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat in the third T20I at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala, on Sunday. The emphatic win gives the hosts a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Early movement, disciplined lines, and relentless pressure ensured South Africa were never allowed to settle, as India wrapped up the chase with ease.
Early Strikes Leave South Africa Reeling
The tone was set immediately. Arshdeep Singh struck with the fourth ball of the innings, and debutant Harshit Rana, filling in for Jasprit Bumrah, followed with twin blows as South Africa slumped to 30/4 inside seven overs.
With assistance on offer, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav tightened the screws through the middle overs, ensuring the Proteas never recovered from the early collapse. South Africa were eventually bundled out for a paltry 117.
Arshdeep (2/13), Rana (2/34), Varun (2/11) and Kuldeep (2/12) shared the bulk of the damage, while Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Markram Fights Alone in Vain
South Africa captain Aiden Markram attempted a lone rescue act with a fluent 61 off 46 balls, but found little support. Only Donovan Ferreira (20) and Anrich Nortje (12) reached double figures as India’s bowlers maintained relentless control despite the absence of Bumrah and Axar Patel.
Pandya reached a personal milestone, becoming only the third Indian bowler to claim 100 T20I wickets, dismissing Tristan Stubbs to underline India’s dominance. Reflecting on the defeat, Markram admitted South Africa were outplayed by the conditions and execution.
They got the ball in the right areas, and before you know it, we were four or five down. Credit to them, they didn’t give us much to score off.
Abhishek’s Blitz Makes Chase a Formailty
India’s response was swift and decisive. Abhishek Sharma smashed 35 off 18 balls, tearing into Lungi Ngidi in the opening over and ensuring the modest target never posed a threat. Though Shubman Gill (28) and Tilak Varma (25 )* struggled for fluency on a tricky surface, Abhishek’s early assault kept India well ahead of the required rate.
Calm Finish Seals Dominant Win
Gill eventually chopped on against Marco Jansen, while Suryakumar Yadav (12) briefly entertained with boundaries before holing out. Thereafter, Shivam Dube (10 )* applied the finishing touches with clean hitting as India cruised to 120/3 in 15.5 overs.
I just stuck to the basics and used the help in the wicket. There was seam and swing in the cold.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav echoed the team’s resilience after the previous loss. “How you come back is more important. We learned from the last game and executed much better today,” he said.
Brief Scores: South Africa 117 all out in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 61, Donovan Ferreira 20; Varun Chakravarthy 2/11, Kuldeep Yadav 2/12, Arshdeep Singh 2/13, Harshit Rana 2/34) India 120/3 in 15.5 overs (Abhishek Sharma 35, Shubman Gill 28; Corbin Bosch 1/18, Lungi Ngidi 1/23). India won by seven wickets. Player of the Match: Arshdeep Singh.
