India took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series against South Africa with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory in the third T20I at the HPCA Stadium on Sunday. On a freezing night where temperatures dipped into single digits, the hosts produced a disciplined bowling effort to bundle out the visitors for a below-par 117.
The chase was clinical, with India crossing the finish line in just 15.5 overs, effectively silencing the doubts raised after their defeat in Mullanpur. "How you come back into the series is more important. And we did the same thing, we wanted to go back to basics," said captain Suryakumar Yadav regarding the team's turnaround.
The foundation of the win was laid in the powerplay by pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Arshdeep, named Player of the Match for his figures of 2 for 13, corrected his line from the previous game to trap Reeza Hendricks lbw, while Harshit Rana who was replacing Jasprit Bumrah, removed the dangerous Quinton de Kock.
This early burst reduced South Africa to a precarious 25 for 3 in six overs. Hardik Pandya further crippled the batting lineup by inducing an edge from Tristan Stubbs to claim his 100th T20I wicket. "I just pitched the ball in the right areas and tried to get as much help from the wicket," Arshdeep explained.
Amidst the collapse, South African captain Aiden Markram stood alone, scoring a gritty 61 off 46 balls. His innings, which included two sixes and six boundaries, came on a pitch that offered varied seam movement and skidding bounce. Markram later admitted the surface caught them off guard. "Everything took us by surprise. It looked like a good batting wicket... We did not expect it to do that much," he noted.
Despite his efforts, spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav cleaned up the lower order, ensuring the Proteas posted the lowest men’s T20I total recorded at this venue.
In response, India wasted no time, racing to 68 for 1 by the end of the powerplay. Abhishek Sharma set the tempo with an explosive 35 off 18 balls, initiating the chase with a massive six off Lungi Ngidi. Although Markram pulled off a stunning running catch to dismiss Abhishek, the opener had already broken the back of the target.
Shubman Gill contributed a steady run-a-ball 28, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 26. Shivam Dube eventually sealed the victory with a six, ensuring a comfortable finish despite the challenging cold.
Despite the collective win, the form of captain Suryakumar Yadav remains a talking point after he managed only 12 runs, extending his lean patch. Addressing his recent string of low scores, Yadav stated, "I’ve been batting beautifully in the nets. When the runs have to come, they’ll come. Not out of form, definitely out of runs."
His teammate Abhishek Sharma voiced strong support for both the captain and Gill during the press conference, asserting, "Trust me, Suryakumar and Shubman will win matches for India in the World Cup." The teams now head to Lucknow for the fourth T20I.
