SA vs IND Highlights and Reactions, 3rd T20I: India take 2-1 series lead after 11 run win at Centurion

What a selfless captain Suryakumar Yadav is! He has confirmed that Tilak Varma will bat at No. 3 for India in T20Is, going forward. 

"And what can I say about Tilak Varma. He came to me (in Gqeberha), asked me if he could bat at three. I said to him it was his day and to enjoy himself. I knew what he was capable of doing and very happy for him. He is batting at three going forward definitely (smiles). He asked for it, he delivered. Very happy for his family," he said. 

Despite the batting fire-show from Marco Jansen at the death of the match, some brilliant death over bowling from Arshdeep Singh helps India take a 2-1 lead in the T20I series with a 11 run win in the Centurion T20I.

India bowlers were tested to the very brink in this match, with even Varun Chakravarthy, their in-form spinner who even picked a couple wickets in this match, go for 54 runs. With Heinrich Klaasen laying the initial foundation of a potential miracle, Jansen's big-hitting spree kept South Africa in the game, but the charge came a little too late for the home side. 

India will be looking at the drawbacks from this match, particularly from the likes of Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh, who continue to struggle against South Africa. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will be walking into the final T20I at Johanesburg with an aim to win the series, while the Proteas will be trying their all to manage a draw.

THE JANSEN STORM HALTED BY ARSHDEEP!!! The big wicket that India would have been looking for, and most importantly, a dot ball to their favour. Jansen brought the house down with his sensational 54 off 17 balls knock, but that ultimately might not enough to get South Africa beyond the line. 

18 required in 3 balls, which means Simelane will need to hit 3 back-to-back sixes to make a miracle happen.

WHAT A MATCH ARE WE HAVING!!! Marco Jansen has just turned this game into a class-A nail-biter. Hardik Pandya messes up with his line variation completely and is punished by Janes for 26 runs, and now South Africa need 26 runs off the final over. 

Things can go either way from this point on, and both the dugouts look tensed to the core. 

SA (195/6 after 19 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion    
 

With the big wicket of Heinrich Klaasen, Arshdeep Singh is now the Indian pacer with the most number of wickets in T20Is  with 90 in 59 matches, overtaking Bhuveneshwar Kumar. 

ARSHDEEP SINGH GETS HIS MAN!!!! Heinrich Klaasen, who was by far South Africa's last key figure in this chase looks completely dejected after losing his wicket in an attempt to go for the big runs. 

However, the Klaasen knock was a real scare for India, and Suryakumar Yadav will be delighted with his pace ace Arshdeep proving pivotal yet again.

SA (169/6 after 18 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion     

Pressure rising on South Africa with the required run rate now touching 20, and Marco Jansen hits two back-to-back sixes to Ravi Bishnoi in an attempt to ease even a little bit of the pressure. 

Death overs now and we could expect Suryakumar Yadav to bring on the likes of Arshdeep and Axar to close this game out, which will mark the need of Klaasen and Jansen to go big on every ball from now on. 

SA (161/5 after 17 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion     

AXAR PATEL PULLS OFF A STUNNING CATCH TO DISMISS MILLER!!! Axar redeems himself after dropping a catch earlier in the innings, and that too in some fantastic style, and that gives Hardik Pandya his first wicket of the night.

While the ball looked en route to travelling over Axar for a six, the India all-rounder stunned the Centurion crowd with a well-timed loft and that marks the end to Miller's knock and adds to the pressure on South Africa. 

 SA (142/5 after 15.5 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion    

Despite the boundaries and big hits, the required run rate keeps on rising for South Africa and both Klaasen and Miller will be feeling the pressure that comes along with it. Both the Proteas batters will need to hit every ball from this point to get themselves a crack at making something out of this game.

SA (134/4 after 15 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion  

ABSOULT HORROR-SHOW FOR INDIA AT CENTURION!!! A power-statement from Heinrich Klaasen after he hits the in-form Varun Chakravarthy for 3 sixes in a row. Drama followed after India skipper Suryakumar dropped a catch of Klaasen on the very next ball, which is the second mega chance squandered awar by India. 

Klaasen hits a boundary from right in front of Suryakumar's eyes on the very following ball, adding salt to the injuries. This match is turning out to be a thriller. 

SA (126/4 after 14 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion  

VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY GETS HIS SECOND WICKET OF THE NIGHT!!! It is the South Africa skipper Aiden Markram who departs after having hit Varun for two sixes in three balls. This wicket makes Varun Chakravarthy the new holder of the record for most wickets for India in a single bilateral series, overtaking Ashwin.

Markram is absolutely fuming at himself, which is quite understandable after the Proteas skipper went through some harsh criticism on his form by even his side's former players. 

SA (91/4 after 11 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion  

AXAR PATEL DOES EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS NEEDED TO DO!!! It is the in-form and dangerous Tristan Stubbs who departs after a brief DRS intervention. Having already avoided getting dismissed after an India review was wasted due to the misinterpretation of Sanju Samson. 

India will take huge confidence from this wicket, but there are still the likes of Klaasen and David Miller left to come on. 

 SA (68/3 after 9 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion  

This is the first time in this series that Axar Patel has been given the chance to bowl more than one over, which might not be a bad idea in respect to the low-kept nature of the pitch at Centurion. With Stubbs at the crease, Suryakumar might have turned to Axar to get the danger-man and his Delhi Capitals teammate out. 
 

Tristan Stubbs is just reekinh of good form at the moment, and shows exactly why. Comes on to the crease after Hendricks dismissal to in-form Varun Chakravarthy and after just one ball to read, sends the India spinner for two back-to-back boundaries to ease the pressure on South Africa. 

India will be looking to get the Stubbs wicket as soon as possible, if they do not want a repetition of the 2nd T20I.

 SA (55/2 after 6 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion

Varun Chakravarthy has made the record for most wickets for India in a single bilateral series. Ashwin took 9 wickets in the series against Sri Lanka back in 2015-16

Ravi Bishnoi also took 9 wickets when Australia toured India last year for a series. 

Chakravarthy is also the top wicket-taker in the ongoing four-match series after also taking a five-wicket haul in the second game. 

VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY BAGS A RECORD-EQUALLING WICKET!! The India spinner extends his dream run and leaves the South Africa's Reeza Hendricks, completely clueless with his googly, and this is exactly the break India would have been looking for. 

Varun is now the joint-highest wicket-taker for India in any Biliateral series alongside Ashwin at 9 wickets.

Arshdeep Singh has picked up his 90th wicket in T20 internationals. He goes level with Bhuvneshwar Kumar after overtaking his bowling partner Jasprit Bumrah. 

1. Yuzvendra Chahal - 96 in 80 matches
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 90 in 87 matches
3. Arshdeep Singh - 90 in 59 matches*
4. Jasprit Bumrah - 89 in 70 matches

What's the highest successful run-chase at the SuperSport Park in T20Is? 

South Africa - 259 against West Indies (2023) 

England - 223 against South Africa (2020) 

Pakistan - 205 against South Africa (2021)

Given past numbers, South Africa are not out of their ongoing run-chase by any stretch of the imagination. 

Both Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram take their time to get settled at the crease after the dismissal of Rickelton, but both batters will know that they will be required to find the big runs as quickly as possible and that too in numbers. 

Hardik is finally looking in groove and that will be good news for India skipper Suryakumar Yadav. 

SA (32/1 after 4 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion

ARSHDEEP GETS THE BIG WICKET!!! Rickleton, who had just started getting into groove for a big knock for South Africa's 220 run chase, gets completely shocked by the ball sneaking onto the stumps after getting a thick edge on his bat. 

This pitch has been unpredictable to say the least in both the innings, but for now, it is India who smiles.

SA (27/1 after 3 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion

India have just missed a big opportunity to put some pressure on South Africa's chase after Axar Patel dropped the catch of Rickelton on just 9 runs. The attempt was certainly a difficult one with the height it went up for after catching an edge on Rickelton's bat, but Axar Patel had made the run too early. 

South Africa have gained some momentum in their favour, and that will be their aim atleast for the powerplay. 

SA (17/0 after 2 overs) chasing 220 vs IND in Centurion

Hardik Pandya resumes the bowling for India after the halt of play, and gest hit for a boundary on the very first ball by Rickelton. Pandya needs to find his length right, which has been a struggle for him even in the last couple of T20Is.

VVS Laxman is out there in the middle, talking to the curator and the fourth umpire. The inspection is soon. Hopefully play resumes soon as a thrilling run-chase is on the cards. Commentators on air are saying that play could resume in 10 minutes 

Official: Play to resume at 11:10 pm IST. 

The groundsmen at the SuperSport Park are working on getting the ants off the park by using insecticides. We are in for a short delay, if not a long one. That the players went off is understandable since the insects can get into the eyes of the players, distracting them. In case you missed action earlier, Tilak Varma's unbeaten 107 helped India put up a huge score of 219 for six, their highest-ever on South African soil. 

Play has been halted due to flying ants at the venue in Centurion. The on-field umpires had a chat with Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, after which the players went off the park. 

More on flying ants

Flying ants are most commonly seen in late spring and early summer, after 3–5 days of rainfall. They appear in large numbers during hot and humid weather. Flying ants are harmless to humans, but they can be annoying. They are a food source for birds. Flying ants swarm for a number of reasons, including protection from predators and to increase their chances of reproduction.

Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton have taken South Africa off to a steady start. Arshdeep conceded a boundary through the off-side to Hendricks, but was otherwise pretty tidy. But the Proteas are still quite some distance away and they need some big overs in the powerplay to set the ball rolling. 

South Africa 7/0 in 1 overs, Hendricks 5*, Rickelton 2; Arshdeep 0/7

Arshdeep Singh has started off for India, who are looking to defend 219. Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks need to get off to a flying start if South Africa are to come up trumps. The pitch is a belter and an exciting run chase is well and truly on the cards. The team winning the match will be taking an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series. 

"Really very happy. I was waiting for this moment for a long time. Coming after injury and scoring a hundred, it is incredible. It was challenging at the start - wicket was two-paced. After that, it went well. I tried to hold my shape and was trying to focus on the basics. We (Abhishek and me) both were under pressure and this knock was important for both of us. We talked about following the basics. Our spinners are bowling well. We were looking at 200-210, so we have a good total on the board, hoping for the win."

2 – India racked up their second-highest T20I score against South Africa. Their highest score of 237 for 3 came back in October 2022 in Guwahati.  

1 – India notched their highest team score against South Africa away from home. Their previous highest score was 203 for five back in February 2018 in Johannesburg.

1 – India got their highest ever team total in T20Is on South African soil. Their previous highest score was 218 for four back in the 2007 T20 World Cup match against England in Durban.

1 – Tilak Varma got the highest individual score by an Indian batter in Men’s T20Is at the SuperSport Park. Manish Pandey’s 79 not out back in February 2018 was the previous highest.

3 – Tilak Varma also got the third-highest individual T20I score in Centurion. Babar Azam’s 122 and Johnson Charles' 118 remain the top two.

2 – Tilak Varma became the second youngest Indian to score a hundred in T20Is at the age of 22 years and five days. Yashasvi Jaiswal holds the record at the age of 21 years and 279 days in the Asian Games 2023 match against Nepal.  

8 – Ramandeep Singh became the eighth batter and the second Indian to hit a six in the first ball of T20Is. The others are Sohail Tanvir, Jerome Taylor, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Tino Best, Suryakumar Yadav and Mangaliso Moshele.

Tilak Verma's sensational and unbeaten 107-run knock powers India to 219 after 20 overs, which looked kind of uncertain after the kind of start South Africa got after dismissing in-form Sanju Samson for a second-straight duck. Promoted to number 3 over India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, the call worked out completely in favour of India, and it will also add a big positive impact on their long-term batting order plans.

What looked like a strong start for the South Africa bowling attack by Marco Jansen, the rest of the bowlers fluttered completely to the likes of Tilak and Abhishek Sharma's fiery batting approach. Gerald Coetzee, who was one of the heroes for South Africa in the 2nd T20I, got majorly targetted by both Tilak Verma and Abhishek Sharma.

As for drawbacks for India, the likes of Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh continued to struggle to get going in this match too, which will be a point of concern for the India management going forward.

The pitch at Centurion has shown sights of being very unpredictive in nature, which will be something that the India bowlers will be looking to use in their favour.

A BRILLIANT, BRISK AND MATURED CENTURY FOR TILAK VERMA!!! Coming in at the unusual number 3, Tilak Verma has shown some unbelievable tenacity and adaptability in this knock, which looks far from over.

51 balls is all it took Tilak Verma to clinch his maiden T20I hundred, and this is overall great news for India middle-order woes.

South Africa bowlers, at the other end, are struggling immensely to keep their line and continue to leak runs through extras. 

IND (208/5 after 19 overs) vs SA in Centurion  

Ramandeep Singh has joined an elite list of batters to have hit a six off their first ball in T20Is. The others are Sohail Tanvir, Jerome Taylor, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Tino Best, Suryakumar Yadav and Mangaliso Moshele. 

Rambo has started off his T20I career in style, fearless and audacious from the Kolkata Knight Riders batter. 

Another failed outing for Rinku Singh, who never looked in touch in this match. This dismissal will raise some pressure on Tilak Verma, unless debutant Ramandeep Singh, who can show some girth at the crease. 

With Ramandeep hitting a huge six on the first-ever T20I delivery he has faced, makes it clear that both batters will look to go big from the get-go.

 IND (196/5 after 18 overs) vs SA in Centurion  

Having conceded two big overs, South Africa captain Aiden Markram is forced to bring Marco Jansen back into the attack and the pacer does his job well. Rinku is still takinh some time to get going, and with Tilak going big at the other end, there should be no hurry as of now. 

Tilak is nearing his century and now it will be interesting to see whether he chooses to slow down or tries to keep the big runs coming.

 IND (183/4 after 17 overs) vs SA in Centurion  

21 RUNS FROM THE OVER!! Tilak Verma is in some fiery touch at the moment, and Gerald Coetzee becomes some harsh victim of that. 2 sixes and a boundary to a pacer, who is getting quite some bounce on this crease only highlights the top-notch form Tilak has shown in this match so far. 

This is some good news for India for their plans for the death overs. 

IND (175/4 after 16 overs) vs SA in Centurion  

Tilak Verma shifts to aggressive gears against Keshav Maharaj to ease the pressure of the dipping run-rate. 4, 6, 4 and Keshav Maharaj, who had arguably been one of the comparatively the best bowlers for the Proteas in this match so far, gets smacked for 16 runs in a fiery fashion. 

Tilak will be looking to carry this momentum into the next over, which, by the looks of it, will be bowled by Gerald Coetzee.

 IND (154/4 after 15 ovs) vs SA in Centurion
 

Hardik Pandya came up with a heartlet speech after he was asked to present the cap to debutant Ramandeep Singh. Ramandeep played for Mumbai Indians before moving to Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR have retained the all-rounder ahead of IPL 2025. 

Another forgetful outing for Hardik Pandya comes to an end, and it is yet again Keshav Maharaj who gets the crucial wickets. Hardik never looked well-settled at the crease, and his struggles to read the bounce on this pitch comes to strike him and add some pressure on India's runflow. 

Rinku Singh now comes on for India and joins Tilak at the crease. 

IND (132/4 after 13 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

A deserving half-century for Tilak Verma has shown brilliant maturity in this knock since coming on at number 3 after Samson's early dismissal. 50 in just 32 balls, which exactly shows how Tilak has switched effectively between safety and big hits in what can be a called a very efficient innings so far.

The run-rate has taken certain hit for India after the wicket of Abhishek Sharma, with both Tilak and Hardik now opting to play safe due to their struggles to read the bounce on this pitch. Hardik is having some difficulty to get going, much similar to what happened at Gqeberha, which is some point of concern for India. 

IND (130/3 after 12 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

Abhishek Sharma had gone without a score in excess of 20 for eight successive innings. Questions were asked about his place in the T20I side. However, captain Suryakumar Yadav gave Abhishek an opportunity after two single-digit scores in the first two T20Is. He repaid the faith in him with a 25-ball fifty. Abhishek looked confident and went after the fast bowlers in the powerplay.

In a bid to save his place in the side, Abhishek did not try and play it safe. He went for the big ones and was rightly rewarded. 

When Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal return to T20Is, who will make way? Abhishek, Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad are more than good back-up options to have. 

WHAT A COMEBACK FROM SIMELANE AS HE DISMISSES THE INDIA SKIPPER!! Suryakumar attempts to go big, which might have been in an effort to ease some pressure, but does not manage to connect it correctly. 

Hasty call from Suryakumar, who could have easily taken atleast a couple of more balls before going for the big runs. 
 

IND (110/2 after 10 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

Costly mistake from Abhishek Sharma and the India opener departs after a strong innings. Having just gone through a mix-up with Tilak Verma in the previous ball while attempting a double-run, still with shaky thoughts in his mind, he attempts to attack the ball by stepping down the ground, only to miss the delivery completely to get stumped by Klaasen. 

Suryakumar finally comes to the crease. 

IND (107/2 after 9 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

A HALF-CENTURY AFTER 8 INNINGS!! Finally some breathing room for Abhishek Sharma and deservingly so, who has finally started to get into his groove in international cricket after many setbacks in lead-up to this.

A sigh of relief from Tilak Verma, who survives after edging a catch due to the ball being a free-hit in the very last ball from Coetzee. Both Abhishek and Tilak can be seen having some sort of difficulty to read the bounce on this pitch, but have so far tackled it safely.

Aiden Markram takes matter into his own hands as he takes up the ball to apply a spin switch in South Africa's bowling, only to get hit for 13 runs by the India batters. This is some great recovery and now a strong buildup from Abhishek and Tilak. The call to get Tilak over Suryakumar at number 3 has worked brilliantly, with both left-handers at the crease now looking settled. 

IND (83/1 after 7 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

Some great batting and maturity from Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Verma helps India finish the powerplay with 70 runs in their bags, which looked sort of unlikely after Sanju Samson getting dismissed on the very second ball of the match for a duck. This is some strong batting display, which now puts the pressure on South Africa captain Aiden Markram with his bowling calls. 

ND (70/1 after 6 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

Dale Steyn is not very happy with the terms associated with the slam-bang approach adopted by modern-day T20I batters. 

Despite losing Sanju Samson for 0, India posted 70 runs in the powerplay. 

Costly start for Andile Simelane as he gets completely thrashed by both India batters - Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Verma, who are just focusing on getting out as many big runs from these last couple of overs of the powerplay. This will add a lot of positive note on Abhishek's innings, who has finally found some touch with his bat after firing blanks in his last few T20Is. 

IND (60/1 after 5 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

A change in the balling flow early into the powerplay for South Africa with Lutho Sipamla, who gets a good first over under his belt by keeping the India batters - Abhishek and Tilak, with some well-placed good length deliveries. 

Although both Tilak and Abhishek are looking well-poised, they are struggling to put away good-length deliveries on this pitch, which can be a point to keep in mind. 

IND (42/1 after 4 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

It was the second time Sanju Samson scored multiple ducks in a bilateral T20I series. Earlier this year, Samson scored two ducks in the T20I series against Sri Lanka 

Among Indian batters, only Rohit Sharma has bagged multiple ducks in more than one bilateral T20I series. KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu have also bagged multiple ducks in a bilateral series.

Both Tilak Verma and Abhishek Sharma are making full use of the powerplay and the fast outfield at Centurion, but they choose to apply caution when facing Marco Jansen, who is getting some favour on this pitch. Despite conceding a no-ball in the first delivery, Jansen keeps the Indian batters in check. Smart approach from the India batters. 

IND (35/1 after 3 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

In what can be an early effort to reduce the pressure after Sanju Samson's early dismissal, Abhishek Sharma has followed Tilak Verma to bring in the big runs by taking advantage of the powerplay. Gerald Coetzee hasn't been able to make that good of a use of this pitch as compared to Jansen in each of their opening overs, specifically with the amount of bounce it is offering.

IND (27/1 after 2 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

Interesting move from India as Tilak Verma comes in at no. 3 instead of skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Might be a move to tackle the early pressure from Jansen, and Tilak Verma does it in some fashion after clinching up 10 runs with a six and a boundary.

TWO STRAIGHT CENTURIES FOLLOWED BY TWO STRAIGHT DUCKS!!! Sanju Samson yet again falls victim to Marco Jansen and the India batter makes an unwanted pattern in his batting style. A great low delivery from Jansen which leaves Samson with limited options before the ball hits the stumps. 

IND (0/1 after 0.2 ovs) vs SA in Centurion

We are done with the national anthems and India openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma take the crease for the opening stand of India, with Marco Jansen being handed the opening over for India.

Sanju Samson needs 82 runs to become the leading run-scorer for India in a bilateral series. Currently, Virat Kohli holds the record with 231 runs in the five-match T20I series back in 2021. 

Samson is also 56 runs short of becoming the leading run-scorer in a bilateral series between India and South Africa. Ishan Kishan holds the record with 206 runs from 5 matches in 2022.

Suryakumar Yadav needs 5 sixes to become the third batter to hit 150 or more sixes in T20Is. The others are Rohit Sharma and Martin Guptill. 

Varun Chakravarthy is 2 wickets short of becoming the Indian bowler with most wickets in a single bilateral series in T20Is. R Ashwin took 9 wickets back in 2015-16 against Sri Lanka. 

It's not a surprise that Ramandeep got his maiden India cap. Having already played match-winning knocks for the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, Ramandeep will be looking to carry his momentum for the national team. 

In 20 matches in the IPL, Ramadeep has scored 170 runs at an average of 28.33 with two half-centuries and a top score of 64. Not to forget the fact that he is more than handy as a medium pacer. 

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav exphasised that his side is not worried about batting first at the Centurion, and that he had also decided to opt to bat first if he had won the toss.

"It is okay. We have done well in the last two games while batting first. The boys have come out with clear plans and are executing it, I have been really happy with that. Just be clear, go out and enjoy yourself (the message from him and the management). These boys have made my job easier," Suryakumar said.

South Africa skipper Aiden Markram wants his side's batters to step up their game, while acknowledging his full trust in them for the long run. 

"Not quite at our best. We are making slow progress. The bowlers did a good job in the last game. The batters need to spend time in the middle and not be too desperate. We have full trust in our batting unit and hope we do something special tonight," Markram said.

India have made one change. Avesh Khan has faced the axe and Ramandeep Singh has walked into the XI for the first time in T20I cricket. Keep in mind, he got the cap from senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya. 

And Robin Uthappa, on air, wished him the best, urging him to become the 'next Hardik Pandya'. 

On the other hand, South Africa have made one change, bringing in Lutho Sipamla in place of leg-spinner Nqaba Peter. 

South Africa: Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla

India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy

Suryakumar Yadav's luck with the toss has just not clicked yet as Aiden Markram wins it yet again and decides that South Africa will bowl first in the Centurion T20I. 

The pitch at the SuperSport Park in Centurion looks like a belter. The boundary size is pretty small; 59 and 64 meters square and 82 meters down the ground

Since the standout century against Zimbabwe in only his second T20I outing, Abhishek Sharma has struggled to find consistency. In eight of his nine innings in T20Is, Abhishek has not gone past the 20-run mark. His last significant contribution came with a solid 54-run knock for India A against the UAE in the Emerging Asia Cup, yet he hasn’t reached that level on the international stage. Even in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, Abhishek only managed to score 7 and 4 in the concluded two ,matches respectively. However, former India batter Robin Uthappa told JioCinema that Abhishek deserves a few more chances in this India side. 
 

Former South Africa coach Mark Boucher told JioCinema that he believes Gerarld Coetzee's current form makes him the ideal candidate to open the bowling for the Proetas, to put early pressure on India.

"He has got a knack of picking up wickets. He has got all the attributes as well - he has got pace, he has got bounce, he has got aggression, and if he lands the ball in the right area, he does tend to nibble it away a bit. He has consistency, and he also bowls wicket-taking deliveries...He is the type of guy who they would want to open the bowling with to try and put India on the back-foot straight away,"

Ramandeep Singh is finally all set to make his T20I debut for India, as he gets handed his first India cap at the team hurdle by Hardik Pandya. It will be interesting to see who Ramandeep replaces in the India squad from the Gqeberha T20I, and how he brings in his all-rounder ability for his side.

Former India batter Robin Uthappa told JioCinema that one of the India fast-bowlers in Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan should make way for Ramadeep Singh to feature in the Centurion T20I and make his India debut.

"I would say one of the fast-bowlers makes way, and then the fast-bowler roles are played by Ramandeep and Hardik Panday. They have the spinners as well, so they have 6 bowlers,"

The weather is expected to be clear for the 3rd T20I on Wednesday. The pitch will offer bounce and pace, but the batters will enjoy the ball coming onto the bat. Indian spinners need to find a way to survive the onslaught and continue their success in the series.

Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi have taken 12 wickets between them with the former dominating the bowling charts with 8 wickets at an economy rate of 8.25. It will be interesting to see whether India skipper Suryakumar Yadav continues his trust in his spinners or whether he changes one name amongst the two because of the pitch conditions.

India Predicted XI: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), TIlak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Yash Dayal.

South Africa Predicted XI: Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Andile Simelane, Ottneil Baartman. 

South Africa have the option of bringing in Ottneil Baartman into the mix to add more raw pace in the line-up. The hosts might also look at cutting down on their spin-bowling attack and leg-spinner Nqaba Peter might miss out on Wednesday.

In Centurion, India might look to bring in an extra pacer in place of a spinner. Axar Patel might face the axe and India might hand a debut to Yash Dayal or Vijaykumar Vyshak. On the other hand, all-rounder Ramandeep Singh, who can bowl some handy medium pace, might also be in the fray.

Abhishek Sharma’s form has been a cause for concern. In eight of his nine innings in T20Is, Abhishek has not managed to go past the 20-run mark. He has managed just 11 runs from two T20Is so far in the series. However, India will be looking to give another opportunity to the young batter. With no back-up openers in the side, India seem to have been prepared to give their openers an extended run the Rainbow Nation.

India will certainly look to better their batting performance after having been bundled out for 124 in the second T20I. Runs from lower-order have been missing for the tourists and that’s an area that they would have worked on in the two-day break. India have found success with their spin-bowling unit. Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi have taken 12 wickets between them with the former dominating the bowling charts with 8 wickets at an economy rate of 8.25. While India will look to stick to their strengths, the bounce and carry that is on offer in Centurion might prompt them to make changes to their pace-bowling department.

With all squared at 1-1, India and South Africa will head to the SuperSport Park in Centurion to resume their rivalry in the second of the T20I series. Despite losing the second T20I after a big win in the series opener, India will be a confident bunch as they look to bounce back and secure an unbeatable lead. South Africa, on the other hand, will be hoping for some more runs from their famed middle-order. Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, who are good players of spin, will be looking to overcome the Varun threat and return to peak form.