Centurion: Ind vs SA 3rd T20: Tilak Varma’s stunning maiden century outshone Marco Jansen’s explosive late charge, as India secured a thrilling 11-run victory over South Africa in the third T20I on Wednesday.
With this win, India took a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
Tilak’s brilliant knock of 107 from 56 balls, which included 8 fours and 7 sixes, helped India post 219/6.
But Jansen’s blistering 54 off 17 balls, which featured 4 fours and 5 sixes, nearly turned the game in South Africa’s favor.
However, South Africa ended their chase at 208/7, falling short by 11 runs.
The match seemed to be drifting toward an easy finish for India after the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen (41) was dismissed when 53 runs were needed off the final 14 balls.
But Jansen’s first-ever T20I half-century kept South Africa in the game, bringing them close to a potential turnaround.
However, Arshdeep Singh (3/37) struck the decisive blow, trapping Jansen leg-before with three balls left, securing the victory for India.
Jansen’s late fireworks, along with Klaasen’s quick-fire 22-ball innings, were the highlights of South Africa’s chase after Verma’s sensational unbeaten 107 powered India’s total.
At the start of the chase, Ryan Rickelton (20) failed to capitalize on his luck. Despite surviving an edge and a dropped catch from Axar Patel, Rickelton eventually chopped the ball onto his stumps.
Soon after, Reeza Hendricks (21) was stumped off Varun Chakravarthy.
South Africa’s captain, Aiden Markram (29), made a poor shot selection, pulling a short ball to midwicket off Chakravarthy.
Tristan Stubbs (12) was also dismissed to spin, pinned in front by Axar, as India’s spinners dominated that phase of play.
Klaasen, however, put on a spectacular display against the spinners, smashing three consecutive sixes off Chakravarthy, one of which hit the roof.
Chakravarthy, however, had the last laugh when Klaasen mistimed a shot and was caught by Suryakumar Yadav at cover.
Ind vs SA 3rd T20: India Outperform
Axar Patel’s stunning one-handed catch ended David Miller’s resistance (18) off Hardik Pandya, just as he had done in the World Cup Super Eight game against Mitchell Marsh.
There was a delay of nearly half an hour during the match when flying ants swarmed the SuperSport Park, forcing the players to walk off the field.
Earlier, Tilak produced a batting masterclass, scoring his maiden international century and taking India to a massive total. Tilak was well-supported by Abhishek, who made a brisk 50.
The 22-year-old Tilak launched a brutal assault on the South African pacers, hammering 7 sixes and 8 fours in his innings off just 57 balls.
His knock powered India to their second-highest total against South Africa in this format.
Abhishek, who had been struggling with the bat, found form with a stroke-filled half-century, scoring 50 off just 25 balls, including 5 sixes and 3 fours, as the two left-handers dazzled with the bat.