Markram stands tall as Proteas collapse

India’s bowlers capitalised on a lively pitch offering seam movement and bounce to dismiss South Africa for a distinctly modest total of 117 after choosing to bowl first in the third T20 International at the HPCA Cricket Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday.

Aiden Markram top-scored with a brilliant, man-alone innings of 61 from 46 deliveries as wickets fell at regular intervals with Arshdeep Singh (2-13) and Harshit Rana (2-34) generating lavish swing with the new ball in the cool and rarified atmosphere in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The captain reached 50 from 41 balls of grim defiance before straight driving Harshit for two sixes to take 18 runs from the 18th over to push the total over 100 before edging a swing against Arshdeep to ‘keeper Jitesh Sharma having earlier collected six fours with some classic strokes in tough conditions.

Reeza Hendricks (0) was trapped lbw third ball by a beauty of an inswinger from left armer Arshdeep and Quinton de Kock (1) was lbw to right armer Harshit, also third ball.

Dewald Brevis (2) dragged a wide drive against Harshit onto his stumps and the tourists were 7-3 at the start of the fourth over with a Himalayan mountain to climb towards respectability.

Tristan Stubbs’ poor form continued with a limp edge to ‘keeper Jitesh against Hardik Pandya to depart for nine and the decision to promote Corbin Bosch (4) to No 6 paid no dividends as part-time seamer Shivan Dube nipped a delivery back to hit off stump.

Donovan Ferreira (20) was only the second batsmen to reach double figures with a brief counter-attack which produced a four and the only six of the innings before missing a slog-sweep against crafty legspinner Varun Chakaravarthy (2-11) who then clean bowled Marco Jansen for two from seven deliveries.

India have included both wrist-spinners – Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav – with Jasprit Bumrah unavailable for personal reasons while South Africa made three changes to the starting XI from the second game with Bosch, Anrich Nortje and Stubbs all included.

The five match series is tied at 1-1 after South Africa’s 51-run victory on Thursday inspired by Quinton de Kock’s 46-ball 90. India won the first match by 101-runs after dismissing the tourists for a record low of 74.

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wkt), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Aiden Markram (captain), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman