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New Delhi: A clinical bowling performance by the pacers helped India to register a comprehensive seven-wicket victory against South Africa in the third T20I at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Sunday, December 14. The Men in Blue took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The Indian pacers produced a sensational spell of swing bowling to bundle South Africa out for a below-par 117 runs in 15.5 overs; the Indian batters made it look easy, chasing down the target with 25 balls remaining.
Openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill stitched a 60-run partnership for the first wicket, contributing 35 and 28, respectively. Tilak Varma also scored an unbeaten 26 runs as India crossed the winning line in 15.5 overs. For South Africa, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch picked up one wicket each.
India's premium fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah missed the third T20I against South Africa due to personal reasons. He was replaced by Harshit Rana in the playing XI, who has been delivering some decent performances for the Men in Blue in ODI and Test cricket.
He bowled brilliantly in the power play of the third T20I, taking two wickets and making the most of the favourable conditions. Arshdeep Singh also bowled a sensational spell and won the Player of the Match award for his 2/13 in four overs. He has been India's strike bowler in the first six overs, as the left-arm pacer surpassed Bhuvneshwar Kumar's record of 47 wickets in the power play, taking 48 wickets.
Hardik Pandya's return from injury also provided a big boost for the Men in Blue, as the all-rounder has the knack of breaking partnerships and stepping up on the big occasions with the bat and ball, which will be crucial for the Men in Blue in the upcoming home T20 World Cup.
India's spin-trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy have delivered outstanding performances for the team, taking crucial wickets and also controlling the flow of runs in the middle overs. In the recent series, the batters have struggled to pick Kuldeep and Chakravarthy's variations. Kuldeep was India's highest wicket-taker in the 2025 Asia Cup, picking up 17 wickets in seven matches at an average of 9.29.
All-rounder Shivam Dube has also been chipping in with wickets in the middle overs, which further strengthens India's bowling attack as they will look to defend their T20 World Cup title from February 7, 2026.
