Skipper Suryakumar Yadav scored a record-equalling hundred, before Kuldeep Yadav’s fifer bundled out South Africa as India cruised to a 106-run win — its biggest against the Proteas in terms of runs — in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The record win meant India drew the three-match series 1-1, after having fell to a five-wicket defeat in the second T20I, following a washout in the first.
After being inserted, India rode on the brilliance of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his third T20I fifty, and Suryakumar to post a huge total of 201/7 in 20 overs.
HIGHLIGHTS – INDIA vs SOUTH AFRICA 3RD T20
Suryakumar’s ton was his fourth in the format, drawing him level with compatriot Rohit Sharma and Australia’s Glenn Maxwell for most centuries in T20Is.
The Indian captain didn’t enjoy the greatest off starts with the right-handed batter once struggling to get going at a stage when he was 27 off 25 balls.
But he soon got back to his groove, with some trademark inventive stroke-making as he raced to his hundred in 55 balls.
South Africa’s chase never really took off, with Mohammed Siraj kicking things off with a fiery opening over maiden. Indian bowlers, led by Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja, struck in regular intervals, with the former securing his best-ever figures in T20Is.
India though will be worried by the fitness of Suryakumar, who rolled his ankle while fielding and was taken off the field. Vice-captain Jadeja took over the leadership role for the side from thereon.
India’s comfortable win also ensured that a technical glitch in the Decision Review System (DRS), which prevented the side from taking a review for a caught behind appeal against David Miller, failed to become a major talking point.
