Kuldeep Yadav’s clever wrong’un sealed the deal in dramatic fashion as India bowled out South Africa for a paltry 117 in the third T20I at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, capping off a commanding bowling display amid chilly conditions and heavy dew.
The decisive wicket came off the final ball of the 20th over when Ottneil Baartman (1) skewed a lofted drive straight to captain Suryakumar Yadav at extra cover, triggering jubilant celebrations from the Men in Blue. Kuldeep finished with impressive figures, picking up crucial breakthroughs in the death overs, including a sharp stumping earlier in the spell.
India, who won the toss and elected to field in the series decider with the scores level at 1-1, wasted no time asserting dominance. Arshdeep Singh struck early, removing Reeza Hendricks for a duck, while Harshit Rana chipped in with key scalps during the powerplay, reducing the Proteas to a precarious 25/3.
Captain Aiden Markram waged a lone battle, top-scoring with a resilient knock (reports vary between 60* and 61 off around 46 balls), but received little support as the middle order crumbled. Hardik Pandya marked his return with a milestone, claiming his 100th T20I wicket by dismissing Tristan Stubbs, while spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep applied relentless pressure.
Despite the low total, dew factored heavily, making grip challenging for the bowlers, yet India’s attack – featuring replacements Kuldeep Yadav (for the unwell Axar Patel) and Harshit Rana (for Jasprit Bumrah, absent due to personal reasons) – proved too potent.
South Africa’s innings never recovered from the early blows, folding in exactly 20 overs for their second-lowest total in recent memory against India. The Proteas’ struggles highlighted ongoing batting frailties on the tour, particularly in the powerplay.
With a modest target of 118 to chase under lights, India are firm favorites to seal a 2-1 series lead in this five-match contest. The chase promises fireworks, with the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav eager to capitalize on a beleaguered South African bowling unit.
