Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Tilak Varma made his promotion to number three count by hitting a terrific unbeaten 107 off 56 balls while Arshdeep Singh picked a crucial 3-37 as India held their nerve to beat South Africa by 11 runs in the third T20I to take a 2-1 lead on November 13.
Coming out to bat in the opening over on a two-paced wicket, Tilak took on the attack from the word go and upped the ante on meeting a favourable match-up to smash eight fours and seven sixes in his 107 not out as India made 219/6. It made Tilak the second youngest Indian batter and 12th overall from the country to score a hundred in men’s T20Is.
In reply, South Africa were 142/5 but were kept alive by Henrich Klaasen’s 22-ball 41, where his takedown of Varun Chakaravarthy was a stand-out. After he fell in the 18th over, Marco Jansen took matters up by a notch to hit a 17-ball 54, including 26 runs off the 19th over by Hardik Pandya, and then took a six off Arshdeep’s final over. But Arshdeep had him out quickly in the final over to seal the deal in India’s favour.
South Africa’s chase began with a seven-run opening over before flying ants meant there was a slight interruption in the proceedings. Shortly after play resumed, Ryan Rickleton came out swinging with three boundaries, before chopping onto his stumps off Arshdeep Singh. Reeza Hendricks hit three boundaries in the fifth over off Axar Patel, before being stumped off Varun Chakaravarthy. Tristan Stubbs couldn’t do much as he was trapped lbw by Axar Patel, followed by Aiden Markram pulling straight to deep mid-wicket off Chakaravarthy.
After David Miller cut Ravi Bishnoi for four, Heinrich Klaasen gave signs of upping the ante by staying back and pulling Axar for six. Against Chakaravarthy, Klaasen hung back to slam three leg-side sixes, before smashing him through cover for another boundary.
