SA quicks set up win to level series
SA fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Beuran Hendricks helped restrict India to a low total and set up a comfortable serieslevelling nine-wicket win for the touring side in the third and final T20 international on Sunday.
The hosts, who won the second T20 to take a 1-0 lead in the series after a washout in the first match, managed a below-par 134/9 in their 20 overs after captain Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat.
SA captain Quinton de Kock remained unbeaten on 79 to help his side chase down the target with 19 balls to spare.
De Kock and Reeza Hendricks scored 76 for the opening stand to stub out India’s hopes of early wickets and any chance of a fight. Reeza was dismissed for 28 but the SA skipper put the hosts’ bowlers to the sword, smashing five sixes and six fours in his 52-ball knock.
Earlier, Beuran Hendricks dismissed dangerous India opener Rohit Sharma early and picked up another wicket to finish with impressive figures of 2/14 from his four overs.
Rabada did not have a great start, conceding 17 runs in his opening over but recovered well to finish with 3/39.
SA spinners Bjorn Fortuin and Tabraiz Shamsi also kept things tight, conceding 42 runs in seven overs between them while picking up three wickets.
Shikhar Dhawan, who topscored for the hosts with 36, and Kohli appeared to have steadied the ship for India with a 41-run stand after the early loss of Rohit. But Dhawan and Kohli, who made 9, fell in quick succession and India needed their middle order to stand up and guide the side to a competitive total.
Left-arm spinner Fortuin put paid to those hopes by dismissing Rishabh Pant, who made 19, and Shreyas Iyer (5) in the same over. There were no heroics from the lower order either as India struggled to hit boundaries at a ground known to be a highscoring venue.