Suryakumar Yadav-led India took on Aiden Markram-led South Africa in the third T20I of the four-match series on Wednesday, November 13 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian national cricket team won the third T20I by 11 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the series. The next clash between the teams will take place at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday, November 15.

Also Read: Watch: Axar Patel takes a stupendous catch to dismiss David Miller in the third T20I

India cruises to 11-run win in thriller

Suryakumar Yadav-led India lost the toss and was invited to bat first in the match. They got off to a bad start when Sanju Samson got his second consecutive duck.

However, Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma ensured that Samson’s early dismissal did not hurt India and started building the innings.

The duo seemed unstoppable in the middle and destroyed players all over the park. Tilak Varma scored an incredible century while Abhishek Sharma scored a brilliant fifty as India posted a grand total of 219 runs on the board.

India defended the total and continued to contribute wickets at regular intervals, but the batting masterclass of Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen completely diverted the momentum towards the Proteas. In the end, however, the Indian players held their nerve and led the team to a brilliant victory.

We played the kind of cricket we wanted to play – Suryakumar Yadav

During the post-match presentation ceremony, Suryakumar Yadav said that he was delighted that they executed their plans very well and got the victory. Suryakumar Yadav added:

“Very happy. What we talked about in the team meeting today and yesterday, we are happy to execute in the game. We played the type of cricket we wanted to play.

“That’s what we’ve been telling them to do. Similar to what they’ve been doing in the networks, for their franchises and for their states. Even if they miss a few innings, they stand behind their intent and their play. “I can say that because to aggression and intent, it’s not just about talking.

Suryakumar Yadav also praised his players for showing a lot of intent with the bat and making his job easier.

“If you go out and take a single, that’s the intention. It’s made my job a lot easier when I see them bat like that, and I feel like we’re going in the right direction. Everyone’s energy and intention, everyone’s energy. It was the first time we were six or seven minutes ahead,” added Suryakumar Yadav.

Suryakumar Yadav further revealed the conversation he had with Tilak Varma after the second T20I. He mentioned that Varma himself came to him to ask if he could get the number 3 spot in the playing XI. Suryakumar Yadav also assured that the youngster would continue batting at that spot in the future.

“He (Tilak) came to my room in Gqeberha and told me: ‘Give me a chance at No. 3, I want to do well,’ and I told him to go out and express yourself. He asked for it and he fulfilled it. I am very happy for him and his family,” said Suryakumar Yadav.

India had lost the second T20I despite a good fight

Despite putting up a strong fight, Suryakumar Yadav-led India fell short in the second T20I, losing by three wickets with just six balls to spare.

Batting first, India’s lineup struggled to gain momentum and was restricted to 124/6. The stay of the centurion from the previous two matches, Sanju Samson, was brief when he was sent off for a duck by Marco Jansen.

Abhishek Sharma (4 for 5) and Suryakumar Yadav (4 for 9) also departed early, leaving India at 15/3. Tilak Varma showed some resilience with 20 runs off 20 balls, while Axar Patel added a valuable 27 off 21 balls before running out in unfortunate fashion.

Hardik Pandya played a crucial role with an unbeaten 39 off 45 balls, holding the innings together as wickets continued to fall at the other end. However, his decision to deny Arshdeep Singh on multiple occasions meant India scored fewer runs on the board. Also, Rinku Singh (9 off 11) and Arshdeep Singh (7 off 6) added small contributions but India finished with a below-par 124.

However, with the ball, India showed remarkable spirit, especially through Varun Chakravarthy, who took an impressive 5-wicket haul, giving away just 17 runs in his 4 overs. Varun’s spell saw him dismiss key players including Hendricks (24 off 21), Markram (3 off 8) and Miller (0 off 1), keeping India’s hopes alive. Ravi Bishnoi supported well, adding one wicket for 21 runs in his 4 overs. Arshdeep Singh also contributed, dismissing Rickelton (13 off 11) early on.

Still, Tristan Stubbs (47* off 41) held his nerve alongside Coetzee (19* off 9) to push the hosts over the line.