VISAKHAPATNAM: Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and seamer Harshal Patel helped India to a convincing 48-run win over South Africa in the third Twenty20 International in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday to keep the hosts’ hopes of success alive in the five-match series.

Chahal picked up three wickets while conceding 20 runs in his quota of four overs as South Africa faltered in their chase for the first time in the series after picking up victories in Delhi and Cuttack.

Harshal also made good use of his subtle change of pace to pick up 4-25 in a strong bowling performance from India.

Set a target of 180 for a series-clinching victory, the tourists never got going on a tricky surface and were bundled out for 131 with five deliveries left in their innings.

Middle-order batter Heinrich Klaasen, who smashed a match-winning 81 in the previous game in Cuttack, top-scored for his team with 29 as South Africa failed to build any meaningful partnerships during their innings.

Put in to bat, the hosts had a flying start through brisk half-centuries from openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan.

But India lost their momentum after Gaikwad, who made a 35-ball 57, offered a return catch to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj to be out on the final delivery of the 10th over.

It ended a 97-run opening stand and India looked set for a total of around 200 at that stage.

South Africa’s bowlers then dismissed number three batter Shreyas Iyer (14) and Kishan, after a 35-ball 54, in quick succession to pull back the scoring rate and restrict India to 179-5.

However, Hardik Pandya managed a few hits towards the end to give India’s innings a late boost with his knock of 31 from 21 balls.

The penultimate match of the series will be played in Rajkot on Friday before Sunday’s final T20 in Bangalore.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

R. Gaikwad c and b Maharaj 57

I. Kishan c Hendricks b Pretorius 54

S. Iyer c Nortje b Shamsi 14

R. Pant c Bavuma b Pretorius 6

H. Pandya not out 31

D. Karthik c Parnell b Rabada 6

A. Patel not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-2) 6

TOTAL (for five wickets, 20 overs) 179

DID NOT BAT: H. Patel, B. Kumar, A. Khan,

Y. Chahal

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-97 (Gaikwad), 2-128 (Iyer), 3-131 (Kishan), 4-143 (Pant), 5-158 (Karthik), 6-100 (Klaasen), 7-113 (Rabada), 8-126 (Maharaj), 9-131 (Nortje)

BOWLING: Rabada 4-0-31-1, Parnell 4-0-32-0, Nortje 2-0-23-0, Pretorius 4-0-29-2 (w2), Shamsi 4-0-36-1, Maharaj 2-0-24-1

SOUTH AFRICA:

T. Bavuma c Avesh b A. Patel 8

R. Hendricks c Chahal b H. Patel 23

D. Pretorius c Pant b Chahal 20

R. van der Dussen c Pant b Chahal 1

H. Klaasen c A. Patel b Chahal 29

D. Miller c Gaikwad b H. Patel 3

W. Parnell not out 22

K. Rabada c Chahal b H. Patel 9

K. Maharaj c Karthik b Bhuweneshwar 11

A. Nortje run out (Pant/ Bhuweneshwar) 0

T. Shamsi c Avesh b H. Patel 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-3) 5

TOTAL (all out, 19.1 overs) 131

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-23 (Bavuma), 2-38 (Hendricks), 3-40 (van der Dussen), 4-57 (Pretorius), 5-71 (Miller), 6-100 (Klaasen), 7-113 (Rabada), 8-126 (Maharaj), 9-131 (Nortje)

BOWLING: Bhuweneshwar 4-0-21-1, Avesh 4-0-35-0, A. Patel 4-0-28-1, Chahal 4-0-20-3 (w3), H. Patel 3.1-0-25-4

RESULT: India win by 48 runs.

SERIES: South Africa lead the five-match series 2-1.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2022