India Crush South Africa By 7 Wickets In 3rd T20I, Take 2–1 Series Lead In Dharamshala
India produced a clinical all‑round performance to defeat South Africa by seven wickets in the third T20 International at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, taking a 2–1 lead in the five‑match series. Chasing a modest 118, the hosts romped home with 25 balls to spare, driven by a fiery opening stand and a superb display of swing bowling earlier in the evening.
Pace Bowlers Rattle South Africa For 117
After winning the toss and opting to bowl, India’s seamers took full advantage of the cool Dharamshala conditions, reducing South Africa to 25 for 3 in a one‑sided powerplay. Left‑arm quick Arshdeep Singh bounced back from a tough outing in the previous game with figures of 2 for 13, while young pacer Harshit Rana struck twice and captain Hardik Pandya chipped in with a wicket to leave the visitors struggling.
South African skipper Aiden Markram offered lone resistance with a fighting 61 off 46 balls, but regular wickets at the other end meant the Proteas were bowled out for just 117 in their full 20 overs. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy cleaned up the lower order with a tight spell, ensuring India’s chase would be well below par for the venue.
Abhishek And Gill Seal Chase With Aggressive Stand
In reply, India’s openers signalled intent from the very first ball as Abhishek Sharma launched a six to set the tone for the chase. Abhishek hammered 35 off just 18 deliveries, while vice‑captain Shubman Gill played a composed 28 from 28 balls, the pair adding 60 runs in only 5.2 overs to break the back of the target.
After both openers and captain Suryakumar Yadav fell, the chase was calmly finished by the middle order, with India cruising to 120 for 3 in 15.5 overs. The one‑sided nature of the pursuit underlined the quality of India’s bowling effort earlier in the match and highlighted the depth in their batting line‑up.
Milestones And Talking Points
The match saw all‑rounder Hardik Pandya reach the landmark of 100 T20I wickets, becoming only the third Indian bowler after Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh to achieve the feat. Arshdeep’s disciplined new‑ball spell also helped him quickly bury memories of his expensive outing at Mullanpur earlier in the series.
For South Africa, Markram’s half‑century was the only positive in an otherwise disappointing batting performance, with the rest of the line‑up failing to adapt to the movement on offer. The visitors will now need to win the remaining two matches to clinch the series, while India require just one more victory to seal it.
Series Equation And Next Fixture
With this win, India lead the T20I series 2–1 after three matches, having bounced back strongly from their defeat in the second game. The fourth T20I is scheduled at a different venue later this week, where both teams are expected to make tactical adjustments based on pitch conditions and player workload.
Fans can expect high‑intensity contests in the remaining fixtures, as South Africa fight to stay alive in the series and India look to wrap up the rubber early with another dominant all‑round display.
