Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav struck a magnificent 100 to lead his team to a comprehensive victory by 106 runs after being asked to bat first in the third and final T20 International against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Suryakumar’s fourth T20I century was the backbone of a total of 201 for seven and spinners Kuldeep Yadav (5-17) and Ravindra Jadeja (2-25) undermined the run-chase as South Africa slumped to an embarrassing 95 all out in reply.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Yadav claimed the last four wickets in just seven balls to finish with his career-best figures from just 2.5 overs on his 29th birthday.
The result squared the series at 1-1 after the first game was rained out in Durban on Sunday and the home side won the second by five wickets (DLS) in Gqeberha on Tuesday.
Captain Aiden Markram belted 25 from 14 balls (3x4, 2x6) and David Miller (35 from 25 balls) tried desperately to rescue a hopeless situation but wickets continued to tumble and the result was quickly concluded.
Earlier opener Yashasvi Jaiswal compiled a composed 60 from 41 balls during a third-wicket partnership of 112 with Suryakumar after the tourists slipped to 29 for two in the third over after a double strike by Keshav Maharaj (2-26) but the Indian captain delivered a virtuoso batting display thereafter.
Having conceded an unusually high number of dot-balls against some smart Proteas bowling in the first half of his innings, Suryakumar launched a brilliant assault in the second half to finish with seven fours and eight sixes to reach three figures from just 55 balls.
His fourth T20I century ended one ball later when Matthew Breetzke held a wonderful catch on the edge of the deep square leg boundary off the bowling of Lizaad Williams in the final over but his work was done.
Maharaj trapped opener Shubman Gill (12) lbw and Tilak Varma drove his first ball to Aiden Markram at mid-off but wickets were hard to come by thereafter until the final nine balls of the innings when three fell in quick succession.
Rinku Singh (14) hooked the impressive debutant Nandre Burger to fine leg where substitute fielder Tristan Stubbs held a fine, running catch and Jitesh Sharma (4) trod on his stumps to give Williams (2-46) a second wicket.
The first match of three ODIs takes place at the Wanderers on Sunday, the traditional ‘Pink Day’ fixture.
SOUTH AFRICA: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram (captain), Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nandre Burger, Keshav Maharaj, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi.
INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar