New Delhi: India produced a dominant all round performance to defeat South Africa by seven wickets in the third T20I at Dharamsala on Sunday, taking a 2 1 lead in the five match series. A ruthless display by the fast bowlers laid the foundation before the batters completed a comfortable chase with plenty to spare.
After opting to bowl, India’s pacers exploited helpful conditions to devastating effect, bundling South Africa out for a modest 117. The new ball proved decisive as early swing and seam movement dismantled the visiting top order. Arshdeep Singh led the charge with figures of 2 for 13, redeeming himself after a difficult previous outing. Harshit Rana claimed 2 for 34 with sharp nip backers, while Hardik Pandya chipped in with 1 for 23.
South Africa never recovered from their shaky start and slumped to 7 for 3 inside four overs. Skipper Aiden Markram offered lone resistance with a well compiled 61 off 46 balls, striking the ball cleanly and attempting to anchor the innings. However, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Varun Chakravarthy further tightened the screws with 2 for 11, reaching the milestone of 50 T20I wickets as he ran through the lower order.
Chasing 118, India got off to a flying start thanks to an aggressive opening stand between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. Abhishek set the tone by attacking from the outset, smashing 35 off just 18 deliveries as India raced ahead in the powerplay. Gill complemented him with a composed 28, and the pair added 60 runs in quick time to all but seal the contest.
After Abhishek was dismissed by a sharp catch, the chase settled into a calmer rhythm. Tilak Varma ensured there were no late jitters with an unbeaten 26, guiding India home in 15.5 overs. Although Gill and captain Suryakumar Yadav fell before the finish, the result was never in doubt.
With a commanding win driven by pace bowling excellence and confident batting, India moved ahead in the series and carried strong momentum into the remaining matches.
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