The Indian cricket team pulled off a nail-biting seven-run win in the third and final Twenty20 International against South Africa here to claim the series 2-1, bringing a perfect end to an exhausting but exhilarating tour for the tenacious visitors.
India’s challenging tour had started at this very ground on January 5 and it culminated with a convincing win, which came in the absence of skipper Virat Kohli who did not play today’s match due to stiff back.
India got a flourishing start with Suresh Raina (43 off 27) clobbering South African bowlers but the hosts succeeded in straight-jacketing the batsmen by taking the pace off the ball as visitors settled for 172 for seven.
The visitors choked South Africa with a remarkable disciplined bowling effort in Powerplay overs as they restricted the hosts to 165 for six to register a maiden T20 series win on South African soil. Home skipper JP Duminy (55) and debutant Christiaan Jonker (49) showed stomach for fight but their charge came too late.
India had recorded a dominating 5-1 win series win in the One-dayers and thus the team stamped its class in the white-ball cricket after losing the Test series 1-2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 2-24 and was assisted by and Hardik Pandya (1-22) and Suresh Raina (1-27).
Chasing 173 for victory, South Africa sent David Miller (24) to open the innings. But they didn’t get off to a great start with in-form Reeza Hendricks (7) skying a catch off Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-24).
Kumar and the returning Jasprit Bumrah (1-39) held things tight in their initial spells, while even Shardul Thakur (1-35) kept control of the scoring rate. So much so, the Proteas only managed to score 25 for one in the first six overs.
Then Raina (1-27) came up to bowl and Miller opened up, as did Duminy at the other end as they added 35 runs for the second wicket. Raina picked up Miller just before the half-way mark, as the batsman was caught slogging in the deep. The big moment came when Pandya (1-22) dismissed Heinrick Klaasen (7) cheaply as Kumar took a sharp catch at mid-off.
Duminy then took the onus on himself and started hitting out. Axar Patel (0-16) was reserved for special attention and he proved expensive in the only over he bowled as Duminy scored his 11th T20I half-century off 38 balls.
Duminy and Jonker (49 off 24 balls) added 39 runs for the fourth wicket, before Thakur snapped up the skipper to set the Proteas back further. Bumrah bowled Chris Morris (4) to further hurt the chase.
But the debutant had other plans as he launched a measured attack on the Indian bowling. With 53 needed off 18 balls, he took 18 runs off Thakur’s 18th over and then smacked Bumrah for another 16 in the penultimate over, putting up 51 runs off just 22 balls with Ferhaan Behardien (15 not out). The equation came down to 19 off the last over, but Kumar held things tight and bowled India to a series’ win.