India vs South Africa LIVE Score: Abhishek and Tilak gave India a quick start after Samson fell
India vs South Africa LIVE Score: Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma have helped India paper over the fact that they lost Sanju Samson for a duck off the second ball of the match. The pair put on 107 runs off just 52 balls for the second wicket, with Abhishek returning to form with a half-century. He scored 50 off 25 balls before falling in the 10th over to Keshav Maharaj. …Read More
Aiden Markram earlier won the toss and chose to bowl first in Centurion. All-rounder Ramandeep Singh has been handed his debut cap, with India dropping pacer Avesh Khan for the third T20I. India were stopped from equalling their record winning streak in T20Is by South Africa in the low scoring thriller that was the second T20I in Gqeberha. India could only set a target of 125 which meant that they lost the match despite spinner Varun Chakravarthy taking a five-wicket haul. The four-match series was levelled 1-1 and India will be looking to take back the lead in the third T20I in Centurion on Wednesday.
Spinners have had a big say in the first and second T20Is but it could be different for the third and fourth. India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh admitted that he is quite happy to sit back and let the spinners do all the wicket-taking if that is how they are going to win matches. He also said that the South African batters seem to be struggling against India’s spin and so the visitors’ bowling tactics will be centred on Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi once again in Centurion.
“The South Africa batters are struggling against spin,” Arshdeep said. “So the idea is to contain early on and give a good platform to our spinners to attack and take wickets.” However, Marco Jansen has said that it won’t be the same as it was in the last two matches. “Playing spin here is a lot different than playing it in PE [Port Elizabeth, Gqeberha’s earlier name] or Durban,” Jansen said. “There is a lot more bounce here and they will probably try a fuller length. How we go about that is different for each individual.”
South Africa were on the money in the second T20I right from the first ball. Jansen started with a wicket-maiden and the Proteas went on to take three wickets in the powerplay, including that of India captain Suryakumar Yadav. India went on to lose half their side before reaching 75 by the time the 12th over came around.
Hardik Pandya tried to provide them some impetus in the death overs after getting off to a slow start but ended up being unbeaten on just 39 runs in 45 balls as India scored 124/6.
India then made a good start in defending that low score, with Arshdeep and Chakravarthy striking in the powerplay and the latter striking in the eighth over as well. Chakravarthy dismissed Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller off consecutive balls to complete his five-wicket haul in a spell that threw South Africa into disarray despite chasing only 125. Chakravarthy was backed up well by the rest of the Indian bowlers and it put the visitors in the driver’s seat going into the death overs of the Proteas’ innings. However, Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee took pacers Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan to the cleaners in that period and powered South Africa to victory.
Highlights around India vs South Africa 3rd T20I
– Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma went big guns and India made 70 runs in the powerplay
– Sanju Samson fell for a second-ball duck
– South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first
– Ramandeep Singh is set to make his international debut
– The series is level at 1-1
– India had won the first T20I in Durban by 61 runs
– South Africa won the second T20I in Gqeberha by three wickets
