INDIA KEEPS SERIES ALIVE
Clinical host defeats South Africa by 48 runs in the third T20I
India ticked all the boxes when it mattered the most and crushed South Africa by 48 runs in the must-win third T20 International to stay alive in the five-match series here on Tuesday.
Yuzvendra Chahal (3/20) and Harshal Patel (4/25) led the way with the ball after sizzling half-centuries from Ruturaj Gaikwad (57) and Ishan Kishan (54) powered India to 179 for five. The bowlers came good after opener Gaikwad turned things around with a scintillating knock and Ishan scored his second fifty of the series.
Under the scanner for his patchy form of late, Gaikwad hit two maximums and seven fours in his 35ball knock, and Ishan too scored his runs in 35 balls after being asked to take first strike.
Defending the total, skipper Rishabh Pant introduced the spinners early and Axar Patel produced the first breakthrough with a fuller delivery as Temba Bavuma (8) holed out to Avesh Khan in the 4th over.
Chahal was rewarded for bowling quick as he got extra bounce from the wicket to get the better of Rassie van der Dussen (1), Dwaine Pretorius (20) and Heinrich Klassen (29). Harshal mixed his deliveries well to first remove Reeza Hendricks (23) and David
Miller (3) and then returned to finish things off with the wickets of Kagiso Rabada (9) and Tabraiz Shamsi (0) as South Africa was bundled out for 131.
Earlier, Gaikwad and Ishan hit two sixes each and shared 12 boundaries to set the platform but South Africa tightened the screws in the second half to keep India inside 180. It was Gaikwad, who turned aggressor after a watchful start and exploded in the fifth over, slamming five successive
VIEW PHOTO GALLERY boundaries off Anrich
Nortje.
If the first one was cut with aplomb, he danced down the track for the second four. The third boundary was a lucky one as the ball hit his grill while Gaikwad tried to move away from a nasty bouncer. Gaikwad then punished Nortje for bowling a half volley and the fifth ball was sent across the third man.
The Maharashtra batter also deposited Dwaine Pretorius over deep backward square for his second six as India posted 57 for no loss in six overs, its best powerplay in the series.
Ishan, who was playing second fiddle, got into the act in the ninth over, smacking Shamsi’s overpitched ball for a maximum before sweeping him for another four as 13 runs came from the over.
Brief scores: India 179/5 in 20 overs (R Gaikwad 57, I Kishan 54) bt South Africa 131 in 19.1 overs