India bounce back, beat SA in 3rd T20I: Key stats
India beat South Africa in the third T20I at YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. The hosts successfully defended 179, with Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel paving the way. Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan slammed half-centuries each. India have bounced back in the five-match series, while the Proteas still lead 2-1. Here are the key stats.
Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell kept the Indian openers quiet after SA elected to field. However, Ruturaj Gaikwad broke the shackles in the fifth over. On the other hand, left-handed Ishan Kishan remained watchful. Although the Indian batters struggled, Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 31 propelled India to 179/5. The Indian bowlers then choked the Proteas, bowling them out for 131.
Keshav Maharaj drew first blood for South Africa, dismissing Gaikwad in the 10th over. The Indian opener departed after smashing his maiden half-century in T20I cricket. Gaikwad hammered 57 off 35 balls (7 fours and 2 sixes). The right-handed batter along with Kishan shared a 97-run stand in 9.6 overs, the third-highest partnership for India against SA (T20Is).
Ishan Kishan accelerated after the dismissal of his opening partner Gaikwad. The former registered his fourth half-century in the shortest format. It was his second fifty of the ongoing series. Dwaine Pretorious removed Kishan in 14th over (54 off 35 balls).
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of Indian bowlers in the match. He took three wickets for just 20 runs in four overs. With this, Chahal has become the first Indian to have taken over 70 wickets in T20 Internationals. Chahal now has 72 T20I wickets at a remarkable average of 25.22. Jasprit Bumrah follows Chahal with 67 wickets.
India have finally beaten South Africa after losing seven back-to-back internationals to them. The Men in Blue were winless against the Proteas since December 2021. South Africa defeated India in two Tests (home), three ODIs (home), and two T20Is (away).
This is the first time Harshal Patel has taken four wickets in a T20I (4/25). Tabraiz Shamsi dismissed Shreyas Iyer for the first time in T20s. The latter has a strike rate of 190.90 against Shamsi. Rabada got rid of Dinesh Karthik for the fourth time (T20s). India scored 126/1 in the first 73 balls, while they managed 53/4 in the last 47 balls.
