Bowlers Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal helped India stay alive in the T20 series against South Africa with a crushing 48-run win in the third match on Tuesday.
After the hosts were invited to bat first in Visakhapatnam, openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (57) and Ishan Kishan (54) put on 97 for the first wicket to guide them to 179 for five. Harshal, who returned his best T20i figures of 4-25, and Chahal shared seven wickets to bowl out South Africa for 131, as India bounced back from their opening two losses.
Gaikwad reached his maiden fifty off 30 balls in his sixth T20 for India and Kishan changed gears and took on Keshav Maharaj with two fours and a six to bring up his fifty in 31 balls.
Pandya hit an unbeaten 21-ball 31 to boost the Indian total after Proteas bowlers had attempted to check the scoring at the back end.
In reply, South Africa lost Bavuma for eight and kept losing wickets including Reeza Hendricks, for 23, and Pretorius, for 20, at regular intervals. Chahal got Rassie van der Dussen and Pretorius with his leg spin and soon Harshal sent back the in-form David Miller, for three.
Heinrich Klaasen attempted to turn things around with a few boundaries but his departure off Chahal further dimmed South Africa’s hopes. Harshal returned to wrap up the tail in 19.1 overs.
Here’s a look at the reactions from India’s 48-run win over South Africa in the third T20i:
First win as #TeamIndia 🇮🇳 Captain 👌👌
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 14, 2022
Well done, @RishabhPant17! 👏👏#INDvSA | @Paytm pic.twitter.com/3fhaXK24XX
Couple of uncharacteristic dropped catches from South Africa last night let India back in the series. Chahal back to his best, love a leggie getting into the wickets. #SAvIND #INDvSA
— Brad Hogg (@Brad_Hogg) June 15, 2022
Rishabh being left out of the T20 World Cup is becoming a very distinct possibility.
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) June 14, 2022
Many congratulations to the Indian team on their brilliant win 🇮🇳 What an outstanding display of game by the entire team. A superb knock by @Ruutu1331 and sensational performance by @yuzi_chahal and @HarshalPatel23. Well played boys!👏🎉 #INDvSA
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) June 14, 2022
Well done Ruturaj Gaekwad on your first T20i 50. Many more to come… #INDvsSA
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) June 14, 2022
Match winner!! @yuzi_chahal not giving away anything and picking up wickets in heaps. He has almost brought the game home for India with this wicket of Klaasen. #INDvSA
— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8) June 14, 2022
My player of the match would be @yuzi_chahal. Broke the back of SA middle order. 4-0-20-3, conceded just one boundary. Super stuff 👏🏽 #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/7mAdwebrQT
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) June 14, 2022
Harshal Patel.
— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) June 14, 2022
He may not be the most gifted cricketer going around but a team needs gritty characters like him.
Not 10 out of 10 but in an imaginary land feels like giving 11 out of 10 for his efforts.
A CSK batsman announcing his arrival for India in Vizag. We have seen this before. pic.twitter.com/PAyQUrZSrS
— Manya (@CSKian716) June 14, 2022
Can't keep top performers like Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel down for long. Strong comeback by the duo.
— Aritra Mukherjee (@aritram029) June 14, 2022
India can still win the series, by the way
Rahul Dravid is betting on slow bowlers ahead of T20 WC in Australia. Very unexciting strategy to build a future team. Harshal Patel is intelligent, but Bhuvanesh Kumar is well past his prime. And Avesh Khan is doesn't look confident at all.#INDvsSAT20
— Neeraj Thakur (@neerajthakur01) June 14, 2022
Most losses before first win as India men's T20I captain:
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) June 14, 2022
2 - Rishabh Pant
1 - Virat Kohli#INDvSA
The relief in the face of Rishabh Pant. pic.twitter.com/FxpugwCsQ9
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 14, 2022
Love Rishabh pant as a cricketer but his t20 international numbers need to get better…
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) June 14, 2022
South Africa have bowled to a plan to Rishabh Pant. Not giving him much to swing across the line. The ploy of bowling wide outside off has worked really well. #INDvSA
— Jigar Mehta (@jigsactin) June 14, 2022
Ishan Kishan in the T20 series against South Africa: 76(48), 34(21) & 54(35) pic.twitter.com/C0Uw1JPGYa
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 14, 2022
Public memory is really fickle. Pant had scored a 50 in T20Is just 3 games ago. Against WI in Kolkata.
— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) June 14, 2022
Post his comeback in the side since 2021, he has avged 28.4 while striking at 132. These aren't great numbers, and Pant's potential is definitely higher (35/135 at the least).
(With inputs from AFP)