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An all-round display with the bat and ball helped India beat South Africa in a one-sided game in the third T20I in Dharamsala on Sunday, December 14. With the win, the Men in Blue also took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The bowling unit delivered after skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and invited the Proteas to bat first. Arshdeep Singh (2/13), Varun Chakaravarthy (2/11), Harshit Rana (2/34), and Kuldeep Yadav (2/12) helped India bundle out the tourists for 117 in 20 overs. Aiden Markram was the only batter who put up a fighting display with the bat, scoring 61 off 46 deliveries, hitting two maximums and six fours.
In response, the hosts achieved the target with 25 balls to spare. Opener Abhishek Sharma gave a flying start, smashing a quickfire 35 off 18 balls, comprising three maximums and as many fours. Shubman Gill and Tilak Varma also chipped in with run-a-ball 28 and 25* (34). Skipper Suryakumar scored 12 (11), while Shivam Dube stayed unbeaten on 10 off four deliveries. Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman, and Corbin Bosch bagged one wicket apiece for the Proteas.
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Following India’s seven-wicket win, former cricketers lauded the team for bouncing back strongly after losing the second T20I by 51 runs:
Ravichandran Ashwin
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on India’s bowling unit after they bundled out South Africa for just 117 in 20 overs. The 48-year-old further lauded Harshit Rana for grabbing the opportunity with both hands after replacing Jasprit Bumrah (unavailable) in the playing XI. With Bumrah set to return, the cricketer-turned-commentator believes that the Men in Blue can emulate it in the T20 World Cup. The legendary spinner said on his YouTube channel:
“What happened today, I want to see in the World Cup. If you play this attack with Bumrah, if you play this combination, you will bowl at teams for low scores. There is a high possibility you will choke teams. We will get that choice, and we must take it. The captain and coach should think of going with the best bowling attack. If the batters can take a little more responsibility with Hardik in that squad, I am sure you can play your best bowling attack.”
“I don't think there are any doubts in the bowling. That department is sealed. Another good message is that Harshit Rana is showing what he is capable of. He is executing what he is good at,” he added.
Mohammad Kaif
Like R Ashwin, former India batter Mohammad Kaif also looked impressed with the Men in Blue’s bowling display in the third T20I against the Proteas. He had special praise for Shivam Dube, calling him India’s possible sixth bowling option ahead of the T20 World Cup. The cricketer-turned-commentator said on his YouTube channel:
“The bowling we saw in the third T20I was combination bowling. Although Shivam Dube has not reached Hardik Pandya’s level of bowling, he is getting better. The wicket ball Dube bowled, he bowled by reading the pitch. Dube usually bowls back of length, but the pitch had swing, and he clattered the stumps. He thought not to bowl defensively and bowled fuller to take wickets. His potential is also growing as a bowler, and these are good signs that India’s sixth bowler is also taking wickets. Dube bowled three overs in the game. This bowling combination looks good for the World Cup.”
“We have spoken about line and length so much. Arshdeep Singh’s strength is swing bowling. He bowled a lot fuller in the third T20I. Harshit Rana bowled well too, and he is getting better in white-ball cricket. He also bowls at a higher pace. The match was set up by the bowlers," he added.
Aakash Chopra
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra sounded impressed by Player of the Match, Arshdeep Singh, for his fightback with the ball in the third T20I against South Africa. He also slammed trolls against Harshit Rana following his exceptional bowling display. Chopra said on his YouTube channel:
“Arshdeep Singh, even if he got hit for 50 runs one day and it became the longest over, but knows how to bounce back. You don't get 100 wickets just like that.
“He picked up two wickets and the way he bowled with the new ball, honestly, he is the left-arm Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the way the ball listens to him. The seam remains so upright, and how good his wrist position is, I love him to bits.”
He continued:
“We should talk about Harshit Rana and praise him. Keep trolling if you want, but praise the kid when he is doing well. He gets limited opportunities. It's not like he gets a chance to play every day, but he does well when he gets an opportunity.
“He performs well whenever he gets a chance. We don't know whether he will play or not when (Jasprit) Bumrah comes. He was doing well even when Hardik Pandya was injured. He has always done well whenever he has come in as a replacement.”
Robin Uthappa
Former India batter Robin Uthappa lavished praise on Abhishek Sharma, saying the World No.1-ranked T20I batter reminds him of legendary Sri Lanka batter Sanath Jayasuriya. He pointed out that the swashbuckling opener intimidates the bowler with his sheer hitting abilities. Uthappa told JioStar (via Indian Express):
“He’s already hit over 300 sixes in T20 cricket, which tells you what a powerful and dynamic batter he is. In fact, he reminds me of Sanath Jayasuriya—sheer dominance as an opening batter. It instils intimidation and fear in bowlers, something you only see when players are in scorching form. Despite being a youngster, he’s had a prolific year. Teams are planning for him, trying to bowl in areas where he doesn’t score, but he seems to have solutions. That proactive thinking is quite amazing.”
“Even before the India-South Africa series, Sharma was playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and was just gunning teams down. So you knew he was in good form. It’s about spending some time out there, and I think that first ball from Lungi Ngidi really set things up for him. From there, there was no looking back. He understood that they were trying to stifle him with tight lengths on middle and leg stump, but if they erred even slightly, he was there to punish them,” he added.
Shaun Pollock
Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock lauded Abhishek Sharma for taking the game out of the Proteas's hands with his 35 off 18 balls in the powerplay. He told Cricbuzz:
“When you are chasing a low total, you want someone to go hard. Because if they do and it comes off, the game is broken as it was. After the power play, the game was broken. It was all down to his effort of 36.”
The two teams will next lock horns in the fourth T20I in Lucknow on Wednesday, December 17.
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