IND vs SA | No Bumrah no problem as uproarious India bowl out Proteas for 116 to take series lead

Yesterday at 10:17 PM

India dominated South Africa in the third T20I in Dharamsala on Sunday to set-up a comfortable nine-wicket win and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. A top-order collapse eventually saw the Proteas bowled out for 116 despite Aiden Markram's 61, before the hosts chased it down in 15.5 overs.

Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh combined for three new-ball wickets to lead India to victory in the third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala

India won the toss and asked South Africa to bat first in dewy Dharamsala. The hosts got off to the perfect start as Arshdeep Singh brilliantly set-up Reeza Hendricks to pin him LBW with an inswinger in the first over for a three-ball duck, before Harshit Rana meted out the same treatment to Quinton de Kock just four deliveries later. The right-arm quick doubled his tally in his next over when Dewald Brevis' attempt at a booming drive ended with an inside egde onto the stumps to leave the tourists reeling at 8/3. Skipper Aiden Markram brought some reprieve with a couple of boundaries in the final over of the powerplay to improve the score to 25/3 at the end of six, only for Tristan Stubbs to nick one behind off Hardik Pandya in the next over to hand back momentum again. India seized the opportunity to bring on Varun Chakaravarthy and further pile on the pressure as the spinner gave away just six runs in his first two overs, before Shivam Dube delivered an unplayable jaffa with his first ball of the game to peg back Corbin Bosch's leg-stump. Donovan Ferreira tried to take the counterattacking route by smashing Kuldeep Yadav for a 94-metre six early on followed by a boundary against Dube, but Chakravarthy skid one underneath the youngster's bat soon enough to send him packing for 20. The mystery spinner capped off a near-perfect day for him by smashing into Marco Jansen's poles with a googly and end with 2/11, to leave the Proteas down and out at 81/7 with four overs to go and Markram as the only specialist batter still standing. The skipper had been watching patiently thus far, scoring the odd boundary to remain at run-a-ball, but finally burst to live in the 18th over with two sixes and a boundary in a 19-run Rana over to bring up a 41-ball fifty. However, Arshdeep limited the damage by having him caught behind in the penultimate over, and Kuldeep scalped the remaining two in the final over to bowl out the Proteas for 116 at the end of their quota.

In response, Abhishek Sharma set the ton for India with a first-ball six off Lungi Ngidi, before adding another in Jansen's opening effort. Gill, meanwhile, survived a golden duck after a review overturned an LBW decision, and capitalized on it with three quick boundaries early on. Abhishek continued his onslaught with a six and our off Baartman, and by the time he was holed out in the final over of the powerplay for an 18-ball 35, the score already read a daunting 60/1. India used the match situation to give Tilak Varma some time in the middle by promoting him to three, and the Hyderabad batter settled in early with two early boundaries off Bosch. In Anrich Nortje, the visitors did seem to have a trump card as he nearly bowled out an entire over over 90 mph, peaking at 149ks, and induced two outside edges off Gill's willow but neither managed to find the fielder at slip. However, the effort was enough to retreat India into a shell as the runs dried up, and eventually culminated in Gill chopping on in the 12th for a run-a-ball 28 to end the 32-run stand. The Men in Blue stuttered along for a couple more overs before Suryakumar Yadav finally ended a 27-ball boundary streak with gorgeous back-to-back boundaries but holed out the very next ball with nine still required for victory. Nevertheless, Dube sealed proceedings with a six and four off Baartman in the next over, handing India an opprotunity to wrap up the series in Lucknow.

Shot!

In T20Is for India, only four batsmen have ever hit a six off the first ball they faced. Three of them have hit one each, and Abhishek Sharma hit three, all in 2025.

— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952)

Missed!

Missed catches and edges, that's where Gill's runs are coming from today.
— Sigma (@sigma876)

Slowed!

After Abhishek Sharma's wicket match is so boring to watch 😒

The way Gill plays in T20 is boring as hell 🤡
— Aka$h (@Got2beverywhere)

Pure Dominance!

⚡️A DOMINANT PERFORMANCE⚡️

South Africa have been bowled out for just 117 in Dharamsala

Aiden Markram made more than 50% of those runs.

Varun Chakravarthy - 2/11

Kuldeep Yadav - 2/12

Arshdeep Singh - 2/13
— Kanak Kumari (@KanakKu64995524)

Its over!

20+ score in this match…

and now it becomes 50+ chances for Shubman Gill.

It's over for Sanju Samson now.
— Hardik Gohil (@GohilHardy)

haha!

This DRS call by Shubhman Gill has literally saved his T20I career.😜

Career defining DRS 👌
— A Kumar (@Am_official007)

Brilliant!

Aiden Markram, you beauty.

What a catch that was.

Indian players did an average fielding today. Some didn't even move 3 steps to take the catch.
— Anand Shukla | Cricket | Politics | Sports (@unsubtledesilad)

50 wicket!

5⃣0⃣th T20I wicket 👏

Varun Chakaravarthy becomes the 2⃣nd fastest cricketer (in Men's cricket) to achieve the feat
— R.K. Dubey (@Ramakan05648227)

Quick one!

Quick Fire Innings For Abhishek Sharma.

- 35 (18) Including 3 Fours & 3 Sixes with Stike Rate 194.44, Good Comeback For Abhi. 🌟👏 |
— Abhishek Sharma Fc (@Abhishek_Fan_)

Abhishek show!