India pulls one back to keep the T20I series alive

With their backs against the wall, Team India managed to keep the series alive with an all-round performance. Riding on the back of a magnificent opening partnership, backed up by a thoroughly professional bowling effort, the Men in Blue cruised to a 48-run win against the Proteas in the third T20I in Vishakhapatnam.

For the third time in as many games this series, Temba Bavuma won the toss and put India in to bat. India went into the must-win encounter with an unchanged side and the two openers sparked a hard-hitting rebellion straight away, taking the mighty South African pacers to the cleaners.

Ruturaj Gaikwad led the charge up front, while Ishan arrived a few overs later to the party. The duo stitched together the highest opening stand for India against the Proteas in T20Is with Gaikwad firing home his maiden half-century in the shortest format of the game. En route to the prized 50, he particularly targeted Anrich Nortje, bringing out a heavy sequence of strokeplay that would feature five boundaries on the trot in the same over. After all the dominion in the world, Gaikwad eventually succumbed to Maharaj for a well-played 57 starring 7 fours and 2 sixes, bringing to an end the 97-run first-wicket partnership. 

Shreyas Iyer would bang two absolute maximums to stoke fears of another monumental score on the cards but somehow, this time his lust for the ropes against an observant Shamsi would cost him his scalp, leaving the gates of some late rampage open to the upcoming hard-hitters of the side.

Much to India’s dismay, a flurry of wickets left the side tottering in the face of a herculean ask where their lower middle-order had to open fire if they were to get to a competitive total on the board. Despite an untoward wobble from the lower middle order, Hardik Pandya came up with another excellent knock that would propel India’s batting exploits to a formidable 179. India’s vice-captain finished unbeaten on 31 from 21 deliveries.

Chasing 180, South Africa got off to a decent start, but before they could build on it, Axar Patel would got the better of their skipper, tantalizing him with a tossed-up delivery that would be miscued completely by the South African captain.

Harshal Patel dealt the second whammy to the chasing aspirations of the visitors as he produced a cutter that was completely misread by a wildly swinging Hendricks, Yuzvendra Chahal pouching one of the simplest takes at mid-off.

One of India’s most mysterious wrist spinners would finally manage to hit the stride as a skitter from Chahal would surge past van der Dussen’s bat with a faint nick that would finally bring about the much-talked-about fourth-wicket stand for South Africa that has so far shaped the last couple of victories for the visitors.

However, this time India had other plans for their prized stand, as Chahal would strike again in quick succession to remove the dangerous-looking Pretorius with fear of a first defeat sinking in slowly for the South Africans.

If the fall of Pretorius was simply a glimpse of the upcoming catastrophe, Harshal Patel bagged the big fish of David Miller for a modest 3, opening up the portal to South Africa’s obliteration. Despite five early wickets for India, South Africa put in a late lunge as Heinrich Klaasen and Wayne Parnell stabilized the ship to a certain extent. However, the task at hand proved too steep for the Proteas, as the Indian bowlers moped up the tail without much ado.

Harshal Patel claimed the best figures of his international career as he finished with 4 for 25, while Chahal dished out a man-of-the-match performance to keep India still very much in the hunt for the series.

India’s next assignment will be on Friday as the caravan shifts to Rajkot. With the status quo of affairs, India will be hoping to level the series with the team coming together as a unit and firing on all cylinders in the third game.