Arshdeep Singh spearheaded a devastating bowling performance as India crushed South Africa by seven wickets in the third T20 international on Sunday, securing a crucial 2-1 series lead in Dharamsala.
The left-arm paceman claimed exceptional figures of 2-13 as India’s attack dismantled South Africa for a paltry 117 after electing to field first in the scenic Himalayan hill station.
Fast bowler Harshit Rana complemented Arshdeep’s brilliance with two early strikes, whilst spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav each snared two wickets to complete a comprehensive bowling display.
India’s chase proved straightforward as opener Abhishek Sharma blazed 35 off just 18 deliveries, guiding the hosts to victory with 25 balls remaining and bouncing back emphatically from their previous series defeat.
“Sport teaches you many things, but how you respond matters most,” declared India captain Suryakumar Yadav. “We learned significantly from our last meeting and executed well.”
The visitors’ innings collapsed immediately as Arshdeep and Rana struck within the opening two overs, dismissing Reeza Hendricks for a duck and previous match hero Quinton de Kock for one.
Chakravarthy’s mystery spin dismantled the middle order, cutting short Donovan Ferreira’s knock on 20 before bowling Marco Jansen for two in his subsequent over.
Arshdeep dismissed the well-set Markram whilst Kuldeep claimed two wickets in the final over to complete the rout.
“They targeted perfect areas and suddenly we found ourselves four or five down,” admitted Markram. “They offered little scoring opportunities. I attempted to bat deep, believing 140-150 could have produced a competitive contest.”
Sharma’s explosive innings, featuring three boundaries and three maximums, established a commanding 60-run opening partnership with Shubman Gill (28). Despite losing both openers to Corbin Bosch and Jansen respectively, India maintained control.
Suryakumar’s batting struggles continued with his dismissal for 12 off Lungi Ngidi, extending his poor form of just 239 runs across 21 recent innings without a fifty.
Tilak Varma (26) and Shivam Dube (10) guided India home comfortably.
The fourth match takes place Wednesday in Lucknow.
You must be logged in to post a comment.