'Virat-less' India beat South Africa by 7 runs to clinch T20 series 2-1

India survived a stunning late charge from debutant Christiaan Jonker and sealed a 7-runs victory in the 3rd and final T20I against South Africa at Cape Town on Saturday. Bhuvneshwar Kumar held his nerve in the final over and with the help of brilliant slower and knucle balls kept the hosts away from clinching a dramatic win. Debutant Christiaan Jonker 49 off 24 balls performed exceptionally well but 19 runs required from the last over was a bit too much to ask from the debutant. With the thrilling win India won the T20I series 2-1.

live scorecard, India vs South Africa 3rd T20I, Cape Town

Match report

India survived a stunning late charge from debutant Christiaan Jonker and sealed a 7-runs victory in the 3rd and final T20I against South Africa at Cape Town on Saturday. Bhuvneshwar Kumar held his nerve in the final over and with the help of brilliant slower and knucle balls kept the hosts away from clinching a dramatic win. Debutant Christiaan Jonker 49 off 24 balls performed exceptionally well but 19 runs required from the last over was a bit too much to ask from the debutant. With the thrilling win India won the T20I series 2-1. 

Suresh Raina was awarded Man of the Match for his brilliant 43 off 27 balls wiht the bat and a crucial wicket of David Miller. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was earned Man of the Series award for his exceptional bowling display in the shortest format of the game. 

Sadly it's all over for South Africa. India beat hosts by 7 runs in the final T20 encounter to clinch series 2-1.

Morris is OUT

Bumrah's skiddy back of a length ball hits middle stump and Morris takes a long walk back after scoring four runs. South Africa need another 53 runs from 18 balls with 5 wickets remaining

Duminy depart after scoring fifty!

After scoring the first fifty of the match, South African skipper JP Duminy is OUT after scoring 55 off 41 balls. Knuckle ball does the trick again for India.  Duminy aiming to slug the ball over midwicket gives a simple catch to Rohit Sharma. 

Pandya dismisses Klaasen

After surviving in the last over, this time luck runs out for Heinrich Klaasen. Trying to clobber the ball over mid-off, Klaasen gives a dolly to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Pandya finishes of with brilliant figures of 4-0-22-1. SA need another 94 runs from 42 balls. RRR: 13.42

Klaasen Dropped

Sahrdul drops dangerous Klaasen on the very first ball of Axar Patel's over. Standing at long-on Thakur runs in to take a miscued hit from Klaasen. Ball bounces off the hands and the power-hitter survives. SA require now 115 runs from 54 balls. RRR: 12.77

Raina Strikes!

Raina strikes on the first ball of his second over. David Miller is OUT after scoring 24 off 23 balls. Trying to up the scoring-rate Miller clobbers the ball to deep mid-wicket but finds Axar Patel. SA are 45 for 2 after 9.1 overs.

Slow start for South Africa

After losing opener Reeza Hendricks in the third over, South African batsmen have looked cautious in their chase. The power-play overs are done and dusted and the hosts have managed 25 for the loss of one wicket. David Miller (11) and JP Duminy (6) are at the crease. The required run rate for South Africa is now 10.57.

Bhuvi strikes for India!

After a caucious start South Africa loose their first wicket. Reeza Hendricks is OUT trying to smash the ball out of the park. Hands a simple catch to Dhawan at mid-on. SA 12-1 after 3 overs 

India innings summary: After a brilliant start from India, South Africa managed to restrict the visitors for 172 in the final T20 encounter in Cape Town on Saturday. Shikhar Dhawan (47 off 40 balls) was the highest scorer for the team. India started off pretty well scoring 57 for loss of one in the power-play overs. But after that, team kept losing wickets at crucial junctures. In the end Dinesh Karthik (13) and Hardik Pandya(21) tried but failed to up the scoring rate. In the last 5 overs, India lost 4 wickets and ended up scoring mere 47 runs which led the team to a total of 172 after 20 overs.

Dangerous Dhoni dismissed 

Trying to up the scoring rate, Dhoni is out after scoring 12 off 11 balls. Dala picks up his third wicket. Trying to dispatch the ball out of the stadium Dhoni only manages toe end of the bat. Hands a simple catch Miller at long-off. India 151 for 5 after 18.2 overs. 

Dhawan is OUT!

Junior Dala is in action again. This time with a brilliant throw from deep. Sends Dhawan back to the pavilion. Cautious Dhawan(46) knock comes to a dramatic end. India 126 for 4 after 15.1 overs

Dala strikes AGAIN

Junior Dala has done it again. Strikes off the first ball of his second spell. This time its Manish Pandey. After a brilliant performance in the previous match, Manish fails today. Lofts the ball straight down the throat of David Miller standing at long-on. India 111 for 3 after 13.1 overs.

Hundred up for India

It’s raining boundaries for India. Visitors are hundred up after 12 overs. After Manish, Shikhar too joins the party. Brings India’s hundred with a thunderous boundary. Dhawan batting 34 off 31 balls along with Manish Pandey (11 off 8 balls). India 102 for 2 after 12 overs. 

Raina is OUT!

Brilliant Raina inning comes to an end. Trying to up the run-rate, Raina launches a ball off Shamsi towards long-on boundary. The ball gets the elevation but fails to travel the distance. Behardien takes a simple catch and puts an end to a terrific knock. Raina departs for 43 off 27 balls. India 82 for 2 after 10 overs

Raina dominate Protea bowlers in powerplay overs

Despite losing Rohit Sharma in the second over, it has been a brilliant start for India. Boundaries have come thick and fast for the visitors in the decider. Raina has clobbered balls all-around the park in the powerplay overs. India are 57 for 1 after 6 overs.

Dala draws first blood for SA

After collecting two consecutive boundaries off Morris in the first over, stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma is trapped in front. Dala draws first blood for South Africa. Sharma walks back to pavilion after scoring 11. India 22-1 after 2 overs.

India playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma(capt), Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey,MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar,Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Dinesh Karthik.

South Africa playing XI: David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, JP Duminy (capt), Heinrich Klaasen(wk), Farhaan Berhadien, Christiaan Jonker, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Aaron Phangiso, Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi

Team News

Major changes in the squad for India. A total of 3. Virat Kohli misses out due to stiff back. Dinesh Karthik replaces Kohli. Jasprit Bumrah back in the squad in place of Jaydev Unadkat. Axar Patel replaces Yuzvendra Chahal.

Two changes in South African team. Christiaan Jonker and Aaron Phangiso replace Dane Paterson and Jon-Jon Smuts.

TOSS: South Africa yet again wins the toss and opts to field first against India at Cape Town

Hello and Welcome to the live coverage of the India vs South Africa 3rd T20I at Cape Town. We are back to the place from where it all started. This time for the last encounter of the tour. After showing resilience in the Test series, India tormented the hosts in the one-dayers. With T20 level at 1-1, India will look to end the tour on a high while depleated hosts after their last win will look to settle for overall 2-1 win over rampant visitors.

Preview

With South Africa winning the Test series and India humiliating the hosts in the 50-over format and both teams now level (1-1) in the T20 series, the high-voltage third encounter in Cape Town will undoubtedly be the tour decider.

In the first game of the shortest format, a brilliant all-round show helped visitors beat hosts South Africa by 28 runs at Johannesburg. In the second game, South Africa, who lost the One-Day International (ODI) series 1-5, kept the T20I series alive by registering a six-wicket victory at Centurion.

The second match was a show of respective batting resolves by both sides, especially of their middle-order batsmen. While Manish Pandey (79 not out off 48) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (52 not out off 28) responded for India, the hosts had to thank Heinrich Klaasen (69 off 30) and Jean-Paul Duminy (64 not out off 40) as they overhauled the visitors' total of 189/4 with six wickets and 1.2 overs to spare.

Klassen and Duminy were particularly harsh on leg-spinner Yuzvender Chahal (0/64) and left-arm medium pacer Jaydev Unadkat (2/42) in the second match. These two will be eager to bounce back with improved performances in the third match as captain Virat Kohli trusts them.

Kohli will depend on seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, if he is not rested, to provide the early breakthroughs. It is though not clear whether Kohli prefers to rest Bhuvneshwar, the way the team rested fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the second match. Bhuvneshwar has played a lot in the tour which comes to end with the match on Saturday.

The place of pacer Shardul Thakur is not guaranteed as the Mumbai right-armer has not impressed much in the two matches. The match may see the return of chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

In the batting department, alongside skipper Kohli, batsmen Rohit Sharma, Dhawan, Dhoni, Hardik Pandya and Pandey will look to make the most of their capabilities this time also.

Batsman Suresh Raina, who made a comeback in the T20Is will act as a vital cog in the middle-order and will look to proving his mettle after scoring 46 runs in two games.

The home camp will be high on confidence after ending their three-match losing streak across ODIs and the first T20I. They must have been relieved the way they dealt with Chahal, who tormented them in the ODIs.

While Reeza Hendricks punished the Indian spinners in the opener, Klassen and captain Duminy did the job in the second game. Farhaan Behardien and David Miller have not lived up to the expectations yet and the match gives them another chance to make impact and impress the selectors ahead of the busy schedule.

The bowling department, featuring Andile Phehlukwayo, Junior Dala, Dane Paterson and Chris Morris along with chinaman Tabraiz Shamsi will have to come up with something special in order to get rid of the flamboyant Indian batsmen.

Squads:

India squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur.

South Africa: Jean-Paul Duminy (captain), Farhaan Behardien, Junior Dala, AB de Villiers, Reeza Hendricks, Christiaan Jonker, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Chris Morris, Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts.