Suryakumar Yadav’s masterclass 100 (56) and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fifty propelled India to a mammoth 201, followed by Kuldeep Yadav’s Bowling Blitz (5/17 in 4 Overs) sealing a 106-run victory for India in the 3rd T20I at the New Wanderers Stadium, in Johannesburg.
South Africa won the toss and chose to field first, putting India under early pressure. Keshav Maharaj drew first blood for the Proteas, dismissing Shubman Gill for just 8 runs. The very next ball, Tilak Varma fell for a duck, leaving India reeling at 29-2 Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav rescued India with a crucial partnership of 112 runs. Jaiswal scored 60 before being dismissed by Tabraiz Shamsi. While Yadav anchored the innings, other Indian batters struggled to contribute significantly. However, they managed to post a respectable total of 201-7 in their 20 overs. Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa, returning impressive figures of 2-26 in 4 overs
In reply to India’s mammoth score of 201, South Africa’s batting lineup failed to click. David Miller (35) and Aiden Markram (25) showed some fight, but Donovan Ferreira’s 12 was the only other double-digit score. Wickets tumbled regularly as the Proteas were bowled out for 95, handing India a comprehensive 106-run victory. Suryakumar Yadav’s masterful 100 (56) earned him the Player of the Match award and levelled the series at 1-1.
Meanwhile, here are some of the important stats and numbers from the 3rd T20I between South Africa and India:
2-Yashasvi Jaiswal, at 21 years and 307 days, becomes the second-youngest Indian player to score a fifty in T20Is in South Africa.
1-Suryakumar Yadav smashed his fourth T20I century, joining Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell as players with the most centuries in the format.
1 –Suryakumar Yadav has become the fastest batter to reach four T20I centuries, achieving the feat in just 57 innings. Rohit Sharma previously held the record with 79 innings, followed by Glenn Maxwell in 92 innings.
5-Jitesh Sharma became the fifth Indian to be dismissed hit-wicket in T20Is.
Indian batters dismissed hit-wicket in T20Is:
KL Rahul vs Sri Lanka at Colombo in 2018
Harshal Patel vs New Zealand at Kolkata in 2021
Hardik Pandya vs England at Adelaide in 2022
Shreyas Iyer vs New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in 2022
Jitesh Sharma vs South Africa at Johannesburg in 2023
2 – Suryakumar Yadav has smashed 123 sixes in T20Is, the second-most by an Indian batter. He surpassed Virat Kohli’s tally of 117, while Rohit Sharma remains at the top with 183 sixes.
1 – Suryakumar Yadav has smashed the most fifty-plus scores (five) against South Africa in T20Is, surpassing Jonny Bairstow, Mohammad Rizwan, and David Warner, who each have four.
3 –India’s 201/7 against South Africa is their third-highest total in T20Is in South Africa. The highest is 218/4 against England in 2007, followed by 203/5 against South Africa in 2018.
4 – Suryakumar Yadav his fourth T20I century, the most by any non-opener in the format! He surpasses Glenn Maxwell, who sits second on the list with three.
5/17 – Kuldeep Yadav’s 5/17, his new best bowling figures in T20Is, surpassing his previous best of 5/24 against England in Manchester 2018.
2 – Suryakumar Yadav has bagged his 14th Player of the Match award in T20Is, tying for the second-highest number with Sikandar Raza and Mohammad Nabi. Virat Kohli leads the chart with 15 awards.