HIGHLIGHTS India vs South Africa, South Africa in India 5 T20I Series 2025, 3rd T20- Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for India's response with the bat. The umpires make their way out to the middle. The South African players form a huddle before scattering out and taking their respective fielding spots. Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill are the two openers for India. Lungi Ngidi has the new ball and is raring to go. Abhishek to face with a slip in place. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Well then, less than run-a-ball it is for the hosts to chase and take the lead back in the series. With the dew factor increasing and the temperatures dipping, it will be crucial for the Proteas front line of attack to bowl with conviction and control. There was considerable movement with the new ball in the first innings, and if South Africa also extract it, the opening exchanges will be a matchup worth watching. The battle between Jansen and Abhishek will be a spicy one up front. Back in a bit with India's chase. Stay tuned.

The pitch had something in it, as the ball was seaming around, and trusting your technique was crucial. Markram understood that. But no one else showed that same awareness or responsibility. He played the conditions, respected the good deliveries, and batted with discipline. He punched a stamp of class by scoring a valiant half century. Though he couldn't bat till the end, his acceleration toward the backend ensured that South Africa breached triple figures. But his dismissal in the 19th over surely scratched off another 10-15 runs off the total South Africa have on the board.

At 7/3, with QDK, Hendricks, and Brevis all back in the pavilion, South Africa were in serious trouble. Their top order had been blown away in a flash, and suddenly the innings was on life support. Crawling through the Powerplay at just 25/3, someone needed to take charge and rebuild. That responsibility fell squarely on Aiden Markram's shoulders. The skipper had to anchor, had to bat time. Markram held firm at one end, but it was like watching a procession from the other. Wickets kept tumbling. Donovan Ferreira provided a brief flicker of hope with a quick cameo, but Varun Chakaravarthy ended that soon enough. Chakaravarthy struck again shortly after, and South Africa found themselves huffing and puffing at 77/7.

Without their premier, Bumrah in the XI, the responsibility on Arshdeep Singh's shoulders just multiplied. He'd gone for plenty of runs in Mullanpur, but credit where it's due. He bounced back strongly this time around, striking early to set the tone. Filling in for Bumrah is no easy task, but Harshit Rana stepped up brilliantly early doors. He came out firing and snagged two massive wickets, including the big one of Quinton de Kock. The new ball swung and nipped despite the dew making its presence, but it was the execution from the bowlers that was spot on.

An excellent bowling display from the Indians after being taken apart in the second T20I. It was a collective effort from them as Harshit, Arshdeep, Varun Chakaravarthy and the birthday boy, Kuldeep Yadav, all chipped in with a couple of wickets while all-rounders Dube and Hardik got one apiece. Overall, India just didn't allow any sort of momentum to the Proteas, minus Aiden Markram's fighting innings.

Kuldeep Yadav to Ottneil Baartman, OUT! CAUGHT! Kuldeep Yadav finishes with a couple of wickets. Googly from Kuldeep, fuller and wider on off, Ottneil Baartman reaches out for it and swings. Ends up slicing it off the outer half towards extra cover. The ball goes in the lights but Suryakumar Yadav takes a couple of steps back, steadies himself and takes a safe catch around his chest. South Africa have been bowled out for 117!

Kuldeep Yadav to Lungi Ngidi, At the stumps, on a length. Lungi has a swipe across the line. Drags it off an inside edge behind square on the leg side for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Ottneil Baartman, Full and sliding across, Baartman gets on the front foot and drives it square through point for a single.

Ottneil Baartman is the last batter in for South Africa.

Kuldeep Yadav to Anrich Nortje, OUT! STUMPED! The birthday boy gets in on the wickets column. Kuldeep sticks to his googly and on the shorter side. Anrich Nortje premeditately gives the bowler the charge and swings through despite not being to the pitch of the ball. He gets beaten all ends up as the ball turns away a bit and the keeper, Jitesh Sharma is quick to break the stumps.

Kuldeep Yadav to Anrich Nortje, Another googly, quicker through the air, and this turns away sharply. Anrich Nortje flashes at it but misses. Nortje has a look at the umpire for wide but gets no signal.

Kuldeep Yadav to Anrich Nortje, Starts with a googly, full and outside off. Anrich Nortje attempts the reverse sweep but fails to connect.

Assuming Hardik to bowl the final over. Scratch that. It will be Kuldeep Yadav to bowl the last over. The birthday boy has been underutilised in this game. He bowled just 1 over and went for 10 runs. Can the Proteas somehow get past 120?

Arshdeep Singh to Anrich Nortje, Nails the yorker, around the base of the off pole. Anrich Nortje digs it out down the ground for a run.

Arshdeep Singh to Lungi Ngidi, Full and targeting the stumps, Lungi pushes out in front of the body and plays it aerially towards long off for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Lungi Ngidi, Back to around the wicket, in the channel, on a good length. Lungi Ngidi pokes at it and is beaten past the outside edge.

Lungi Ngidi is in at number 10.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Aiden Markram stands there in disbelief. A crushing blow for the Proteas. Pushed across the right-hander, full in length. Aiden clears the front leg and swings at it to go down the ground. The ball leaves him with the angle to graze the outside edge and the keeper, Jitesh Sharma does the rest. Markram falls for 61 (46). South Africa are now 113/8.

Arshdeep Singh to Anrich Nortje, From around the wicket, low full toss, outside off, smacked to deep cover for one.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, Arshdeep attempts the wide yorker from over the wicket, low full toss, near the tramline. Aiden reaches out and slices it to deep point for a single.

Arshdeep Singh is brought back on and will wrap up his spell. He has been quite economical so far. 3-0-9-1 are his bowling figures. He replaces Hardik Pandya.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, A misfield and Markram will keep the strike! Fuller at pace, on off, Markram knocks it to the right of extra cover, where Suryakumar Yadav gets to the ball but fails to pick it up in one go and concedes a single. A productive over for South Africa. 19 runs off it.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, SIX! Clubbed down the ground! Rana goes into the surface and bowls the off-cutter, outside off. It sits up to be hit, and Markram waits for the ball to arrive. Hammers it back over the bowler's head with a flat bat for a six.

Harshit Rana to Anrich Nortje, Searing yorker at the toes, sneaking past the leg pole. Anrich Nortje fails to get his bat down quickly and the ball beats the keeper for pace. Jitesh Sharma gets a hand to it and parries it away to short fine leg for a bye.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, Dug in short, outside off, Markram is made to reach out for it and he bunts it in front of square on the off side for one.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, SIX! High and long enough and that will be FIFTY for Aiden Markram. The Proteas skipper has held firm in the face of wickets falling around him, and he holds the key to the tourists getting to a fighting total. Drags the length back, on off and middle. Markram stays leg side and opens his front hip. Carves it inside out over extra cover for a six.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Just over! Rana starts with an off-cutter at 111.2 kph, full and dipping on the batter. Aiden Markram has a swing at it and slices it off the outer half. The bat slips out of Markram's hands and drops in front of the keeper. Aiden manages to clear the leaping backward point fielder for a boundary.

Harshit Rana (3-0-16-2) is back on.

Hardik Pandya to Anrich Nortje, SIX! All the way! Hardik bangs it in short and tries to tuck the batter up for room. Nortje swivels nicely and climbs into it. Pulls it way over deep square leg for a six.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, Leg bye! Slanting into the right-hander, on a back of a length. Markram looks to clip it away, but is beaten on the inside edge. A leg bye is taken as the ball goes off the pads on the off side.

Hardik Pandya to Anrich Nortje, Full and straight, Anrich pushes it with a straight bat through mid on to turn the strike over.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, At the stumps, on a short of a length, Markram hits it on the rise to the left of long on. He calls for two but Shivam Dube is quick across the turf and keeps the batters down to a single.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, Hardik spots Markram backing away, and he follows him. Pushes the length up, Aiden chops it down to short third.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, Angled into the right-hander, on a back of a length, on middle and leg. Aiden Markram backs away and jabs it between long on and deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aiden Markram, Quicker through the air, short and at the hips. Markram nurdles it to deep backward square leg and keeps the strike with a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Anrich Nortje, A bit of turn back into the right-hander, a bit short, on middle. Nortje taps it to long on for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Anrich Nortje, Fractionally wide, short in length, Anrich cuts it to the right of deep point for a couple of runs.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Anrich Nortje, Pushed through, fuller and at the stumps. Anrich Nortje lunges and ekes out an inside edge onto the pads.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Anrich Nortje, On the shorter side, another googly, on top of off. Nortje pushes it off the back foot to cover.

Into the tail of the South Africans now. Anrich Nortje is in at number 9.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Marco Jansen, OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! Wickets off successive overs for Varun Chakaravarthy. Googly from Varun, on a nagging length, around the off pole. Marco Jansen is lazy with his footwork and just hangs his bat out to cover the line. He fails to pick the googly and ends up defending outside the line. The ball sneaks past the inside edge to uproot the off stump. South Africa are now 77/7.

Shivam Dube to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Harshit Rana totally misjudged that and Markram breathes a sigh of relief. Good length, angling back in down the leg side. Markram backs away to create room, opens the bat face, and tries to go inside out over extra cover. But the bat turns in his hands mid-swing. His bottom hand comes off completely and he ends up slicing it high towards deep point instead. Harshit Rana charges in from deep point, then realises too late the ball's sailing back over his head. He sticks out his right hand while running backwards, but can't reach it. The ball drops just inside the boundary rope.

Shivam Dube to Marco Jansen, Excellent glovework by Jitesh Sharma. Lands on the seam and nips in a touch, on a good length, around off. Marco Jansen tries to drag that across with the pull shot, but only manages a thick inside edge. The ball bounces past the stumps and rolls to the left of Jitesh Sharma who dives full-stretch and stops it. The ball is deflected to Kuldeep to short fine leg for a single.

Shivam Dube to Marco Jansen, Nagging length at a gentle pace, on off, Marco Jansen prods half forward and defends it under the bat.

Shivam Dube to Aiden Markram, Back of a length, on top of off. Aiden Markram stays leg side and flat bats by dragging it straight down the ground for a single.

Shivam Dube to Marco Jansen, Full and at 128.7 kph, on the leg stump. Marco Jansen chips it uppishly and towards deep square leg for a single.

Shivam Dube to Aiden Markram, Targets the pads, does Dube. Markram runs this length ball down to long on for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Marco Jansen, Quicker than the previous ball, short and on middle. Jansen backs away and punches it to the bowler's left. Varun Chakaravarthy's figures read 3-0-7-1 so far.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Marco Jansen, At 94.2 kph, this is on a dragged length, on off. Marco Jansen watchfully blocks it off the back foot.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Marco Jansen, Flatter one, short and on off. Marco Jansen commits on the front foot and bunts it to the left of the bowler.

Marco Jansen is in next.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Donovan Ferreira, OUT! BOWLED! 50th T20I wicket for Varun Chakaravarthy. He dishes out a fuller-length delivery, at the stumps, one that spins back in very sharply. Donovan Ferreira goes for a premeditated slog sweep across the line, but misses and hears the death rattle behind him. The ball makes an absolute mess of the stumps. The brewing 25-run partnership comes to an end. Donovan Ferreira perishes after a cameo of 20 off 15 balls. South Africa are 69/6.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aiden Markram, Slides one onto the pads, on a fuller length. Aiden Markram walks forward and tries to steer it to mid-wicket, but gets beaten on the inside edge. The ball deflects off the front pad and rolls to the right of short fine leg. They get a leg bye.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Donovan Ferreira, Short and wide outside off. Donovan Ferreira backs away and punches it down to long off for a single.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, Extra bounce, on a good length, outside off. Donovan Ferreira is taken aback but he does well to steer it to deep point for a single.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, FOUR! Brute force! Back of a length, on top of middle. Donovan Ferreira gets fed to his strength and he pulls it ruthlessly through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Shivam Dube to Aiden Markram, Length ball, on middle, worked down to long on for a single.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, IN THE AIR AND PUT DOWN! Arshdeep Singh does all the hard work, but spills it. Around off, on a good length. It holds on the surface and arrives later than Ferreira expected. He goes through his shot and drags it off the toe end of the bat towards long on. Arshdeep Singh charges in off the ropes and as the ball dips on him, he dives forward, even gets both hands on the ball, but eventually grasses it. A single taken. A huge reprieve for Donovan Ferreira.

Shivam Dube to Aiden Markram, Stump-to-stump, full in length. Aiden Markram presses forward and drives it down to long off for an easy single.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, Full and tailing onto the leg stump. Donovan Ferreira tries to whip it away on the front foot, but the ball goes off the bottom edge to the right of mid on for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Donovan Ferreira, A yard behind fuller length, on the stumps. Donovan Ferreira whips it off the pads to deep backward square leg for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Donovan Ferreira, SIX! He has picked the bones out of it! Another googly from Kuldeep, full and on off. This time, Donovan Ferreira reads the wrong'un off the wrist and slogs it behind deep mid-wicket for an enormous six.

Kuldeep Yadav to Donovan Ferreira, A slip in place now. Dishes out a googly, on a fuller length, just outside off. Donovan Ferreira is sucked into the shot on the front foot and pushes at it, but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Kuldeep Yadav to Aiden Markram, Floats it on a length, around off. Aiden Markram backs away and cuts it to the right of deep point for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Donovan Ferreira, Drag-downer, on off, Donovan Ferreira smashes it off the back foot to the left of long on for a single. 50 UP FOR SOUTH AFRICA IN 11.2 OVERS!

Kuldeep Yadav to Aiden Markram, On a flatter trajectory, skidding through outside off, full in length. Aiden Markram steers it off the back foot to widish point for a single.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, Back of a length, wide on off. Donovan Ferreira cuts it off the back foot, a bit uppish, but wide of point. Harshit Rana from deep third shows great commitment as he runs across to his right and slides to cut it off before the ropes. Two taken.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, BEAUTY! Lands on the seam and nips away from a good length, around off. Donovan Ferreira gets squared up on the defence and is beaten all ends up.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, Straighter delivery, full and on the pads. Donovan Ferreira clips it behind to deep fine leg for a couple of runs.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, Gentle-paced delivery, nipping away from off. Donovan Ferreira steers it to point off the back foot.

Shivam Dube to Donovan Ferreira, Back of a length outside off. Ferreira punches it firmly back down the pitch. Dube dives across but can't get a hand to it, and the ball crashes into the stumps at the non-striker's end. Markram's already halfway down, looking for a single. He turns and dives desperately to get back into his crease.

Donovan Ferreira is in at number 7.

Shivam Dube to Corbin Bosch, OUT! CLEANED HIM UP! Instant impact for Shivam Dube upon his introduction. He lands it on a good length, and gets the ball to jag back in sharply off the deck. Corbin Bosch is cut in half as he is cramped for space. He tries to work it across the line, but due to the big gap created between the bat and pad, the ball sneaks through it and smashes back onto the stumps behind. Corbin Bosch departs on 4 (9) and South Africa are half side down on 44.

DRINKS BREAK. India have bossed up the proceedings until now and they will look to further press on by getting rid of Markram as quickly as possible. Sending Bosch ahead of Donovan Ferreira is a tactical move to deepen their batting a bit, and he will need to support his skipper and avoid any rash shots. With the presence of dew increasing over by over, gripping the ball would be a bit difficult and that's where the likes of Markram will try to exploit those conditions by batting till the end. Shivam Dube is introduced into the attack now. He replaces Hardik Pandya.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aiden Markram, Short and on middle, Aiden wrists it to mid-wicket.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Corbin Bosch, Drags the length back, on off, Bosch carves it wide of point and picks up a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Corbin Bosch, DROPPED! That should have been taken. Varun gives the ball a bit of air, full and outside off, Corbin Bosch drags the sweep and hits it hard towards mid-wicket. It goes at waist height and straight to Abhishek Sharma, who fails to cling on.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aiden Markram, Tossed up, full and outside off, Markram drives it through covers and crosses over.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aiden Markram, Sliding onto the pads, on the shorter side, Markram is beaten on the flick and wears it on the front pad.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Corbin Bosch, Cutting back into the right-hander, on a nagging length, Bosch punches it to the left of the bowler for a single.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, This angles in, on a short of a length, on middle. Aiden stabs it down on the off side.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Class written all over it! Not a bad ball by any means, on a good length, on off. Aiden Markram presses forward and drives it on the up with a high elbow. Plays it between cover and mid off for a boundary.

STAT - Hardik Pandya is the FIRST India to score 1,000-plus runs and take 100 or more wickets in the T20Is. Fifth player overall to achieve this milestone in this format.

Hardik Pandya to Corbin Bosch, Oh, that stayed low! Skidding through, on a short of a length, on middle. Bosch hangs back to deal with it and jams his bat down on the ball to adjust to the low bounce. Ekes out an inside edge onto the back pad, and the ball goes down to deep third for a single.

Hardik Pandya to Corbin Bosch, A well-directed bumper, over the right shoulder. Corbin Bosch does well to sway away and drop his wrists.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, On the shorter side, on off, Markram slaps it to deep point and gets to the other end.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, Miscued but safe! Into the wicket, over middle. Aiden Markram skips down the track to take it on. Tries to launch it down the ground with a horizontal bat. Ends up slicing it back over the bowler's head and drops well wide of long to his left. Two runs taken.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Corbin Bosch, Edged but it falls short! Pushed through, full and on off, Corbin pushes out in front of his body and gets an outside edge but it drops short of Suryakumar Yadav at slip.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Corbin Bosch, Full and on off, knocked to cover by Corbin.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aiden Markram, In the air...but safe! Keeps it short, slower through the air, on middle. Aiden rocks on the back foot for the pull, but is slightly early into the shot. Mishits it aerially, but the ball drops short of the charging fielder at deep mid-wicket. They cross.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aiden Markram, This skids through, shorter and on middle. Markram drops his bat down on the ball quickly.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Corbin Bosch, Floated up, outside off, Bosch taps it to deep cover off the front foot for a run.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aiden Markram, At 91.4 kph, short and on off, Markram punches it to long on for a single.

Corbin Bosch is in at number 6. Also, spin is now introduced with Varun Chakaravarthy replacing Harshit Rana.

Hardik Pandya to Tristan Stubbs, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Hardik Pandya gets in on the act now. 100th T20I wicket for Hardik. He becomes the third Indian bowler after Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah to complete this milestone. In the channel on off, on a back of a length, Stubbs walks down the track and gets closer to the line of the ball. He tries to run it down with an open bat face. There is a bit of nip away, which results in the ball catching the outside edge. The keeper, Jitesh Sharma, makes no mistake with a simple gather behind the stumps. Stubbs falls for 9 (13). The stability does not last long for the Proteas. South Africa are now 31/4.

Hardik Pandya to Tristan Stubbs, Pushes the length up, outside off, Stubbs gets a good stride in and pushes it to cover.

Hardik Pandya to Tristan Stubbs, Into the surface, over middle. Tristan rises with the bounce and nudges it to the right of mid-wicket for another brace.

Hardik Pandya to Tristan Stubbs, Pandya bends his back and bangs it in short, over middle. Stubbs stands tall and pulls it to the left of deep square leg. Shivam Dube in the deep ambles towards the ball, which allows the batters to sneak in the second run. Hardik is not happy at all.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, Pulls the length back, on top of off, tapped away to deep cover for a single.

Hardik Pandya to Aiden Markram, Starts with a full ball, on off, Markram firms the drive but it goes straight to mid off.

The fielding restrictions have now been lifted. Clearly, the Powerplay has gone India's way as they have blown away the South African top order with some seriously lethal bowling. Harshit and Arshdeep got the ball moving both ways and just didn't allow the batters to breathe freely. Hardik Pandya is brought into the attack now. He replaces Arshdeep Singh.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, Nearly sneaked through! On a length, at the sticks, Aiden gets on the front foot and swings to slam it down the ground. The ball nips back a bit to catch the inside edge and it rolls down to deep fine leg for one. End of an eventful Powerplay. At the end of 6 overs, South Africa are 25/3.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Easy pickings! Rana takes pace off and this is at 112.2 kph, dipping low full toss, on the pads. Markram takes it on the full and flicks it to the right of mid on for the second boundary of the over.

Harshit Rana to Tristan Stubbs, Almost another chop on! Jagging back in, on a back of a length, outside off. Stubbs extends his hands to punch it away with an angled bat. The ball catches the inside edge and goes down to deep fine leg for a single.

Harshit Rana to Tristan Stubbs, Pitches it up, around off, Stubbs presses on the front foot and times the drive to extra cover.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, In the channel, on a short of a length. Aiden stays leg side of the ball and slaps it to deep point for a single.

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Lovely shot! This is on a back of a length, angled in on the off pole. Aiden Markram stands tall and gets on top of it. Presents a high elbow and punches it between cover and mid off for a boundary.

Arshdeep Singh to Tristan Stubbs, Hard length, on the fourth stump line. Stubbs gets on the toes to ride the bounce and taps it across into the leg side with soft hands.

Arshdeep Singh to Tristan Stubbs, Pushed fuller and around off, Tristan Stubbs gets on the front foot and looks to drive straight, but gets a thick inside edge onto the back pad.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, Bangs it short and on off, Aiden Markram hops in the crease and punches it to the sweeper cover for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Tristan Stubbs, Nips in from a good length, on the leg stump, this is tucked to the deep backward square leg region for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, Moving away off the deck, on a back of a length, Markram steers it to the left of point for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, Full and on the leg stump line, Aiden Markram flicks it to mid-wicket and finds the fielder there.

Harshit Rana to Tristan Stubbs, Full and around off, driven off the front foot to mid off.

Harshit Rana to Tristan Stubbs, Sharply swings in on a good length, on off. Stubbs pushes at the delivery on the front foot but it goes off the thick inside edge to deep backward square leg for a couple of runs.

Harshit Rana to Tristan Stubbs, DRAMA! Harshit spears in a fuller-length delivery, curving back on the leg stump line. Tristan Stubbs gets on the front foot, but is a bit hurried into the shot and it seems to have brushed off the inside edge before rapping the front pad. The ball then lobs towards the wide gully region where Tilak Varma dives forward and tries to catch, but spills it. Huge appeal for LBW and the umpire raises his finger. A lot of confusion in the middle and both the on-field umpires converge and send it upstairs to have a check whether the bat is involved. UltraEdge shows no bat involved and that puts an end to all the drama. The Ball Tracking later shows that the ball would have missed the leg stump.

What has happened here? The finger has been raised, but for what? LBW? Catch? But the ball was floored, wasn't it? The two umpires get together and they send it upstairs. Oh, okay, it is an umpire review for a fair catch. Daylight gap between the bat and the ball. So, that puts the catch out of the equation. NOT OUT!

Harshit Rana to Aiden Markram, Swings in on a good length, on the leg stump. Aiden Markram tucks it between mid-wicket and mid on for a single.

Harshit Rana to Tristan Stubbs, Short of a good length, on middle and leg. Tristan Stubbs nudges it off the back foot to backward square leg for a single. Gets off the mark, does Stubbs.

Tristan Stubbs walks out to the centre.

Harshit Rana to Dewald Brevis, OUT! DRAGGED ON! This is a huge wicket for the Indians. Harshit gets his second. He fires in a fuller delivery, a bit wide on off. Dewald Brevis goes with hard hands to drive it through cover off the front foot, but he is nowhere near the pitch of the ball and ends up inside edging it back onto the stumps. Dewald Brevis falls for 2 (7) and South Africa are dented further with just 7 on the board at the loss of 3 wickets.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, Hard length, on top of off, Markram camps back and bunts it down the ground. The ball rolls into the stumps at the bowler's end.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, FOUR! Excellent shot! Not a half volley, on off, Aiden Markram presses forward and presents the full face of the bat as he drives it crisply to the right of the mid off fielder. Picks up the first boundary of the game.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, Tad full and around off, driven on the up to the extra cover fielder.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, JAFFA! Shapes in and then nips away from off, on a shortish length. Aiden Markram is totally squared up and plays inside the line to push it straight, but gets beaten.

Arshdeep Singh to Dewald Brevis, Good umpiring! On a back of a length, seaming a fraction into the batter, on middle, Dewald Brevis gets a thick inside edge onto the front pad, while trying to push it straight back. A single is taken as the ball rolls behind on the off side. Another appeal for LBW, but not given. The keeper, Jitesh Sharma seems unsure about it, but SKY goes upstairs for a review as Arshdeep looks confident. UltraEdge shows a clear spike as the ball is next to the bat. India burn a review.

Inside edge? The umpire thinks so. Arshdeep Singh is pretty confident, and Suryakumar Yadav takes the review for LBW with a couple of seconds left on the timer. The on-field decision is upheld as the UltraEdge confirms the inside edge onto the pads.

Arshdeep Singh to Dewald Brevis, Shaping away from the middle stump line, on a hard length. Dewald Brevis watchfully blocks off the front foot.

Harshit Rana to Dewald Brevis, IN THE AIR... LANDS JUST SAFE! Short and skidding onto the batter, Dewald Brevis is rushed in his pull shot and gets the ball high on the bat. Mistimes his shot in the air, to the right of mid-wicket, and lands just yards wide of Varun Chakaravarthy, who picks it up on a few bounces. A single taken. The replay shows that Varun actually lost the ball in the floodlights and hence, he was a bit late to charge in that direction for the catch.

Harshit Rana to Dewald Brevis, BEATEN! Loose from Dewald. Wide outside off, inviting the batter to play the drive, and Brevis does so. Without much footwork, he has a waft at it and gets beaten on the outside edge by a kitten-whisker.

Harshit Rana to Dewald Brevis, On a back of a length, on off, punched off the back foot to extra cover.

Harshit Rana to Dewald Brevis, Spears in a fuller delivery, slightly outside off, shaping in. Dewald Brevis tries to carve it through cover, but inside edges onto the back pad and the ball rolls on the surface.

Dewald Brevis comes in with South Africa in early trouble.

Harshit Rana to Quinton de Kock, OUT! LBW! Harshit also makes an immediate impact and fishes out de Kock. Touch fuller from around the stumps, curving back in from middle. Quinton de Kock tries to flick it away again, but plays all over it and gets pinned on the back pad. A confident appeal for LBW and the finger goes up instantly. After a long chat with his partner, Quinton de Kock walks away without reviewing. Well, not as plumb as it looked in real time as the Ball Tracking comes up as umpire's call with the ball clipping the leg pole. Quinton de Kock departs on 1 (3) and the Proteas are rocked early. They are 1/2.

Harshit Rana to Quinton de Kock, Visible inswing on a fuller length, on middle. Quinton de Kock flicks off the pads to mid-wicket.

No Jasprit Bumrah tonight, so it will be Harshit Rana to share the attack.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, Nibbling away from outside off, on a fractionally fuller length. Markram sees that off. A successful opening over from Arshdeep. Went wicketless in the previous game and also leaked many runs, but begins on a positive note this time around.

Arshdeep Singh to Aiden Markram, Swings the other way now, on a hard length, at 132.6 kph. Aiden Markram gets right behind it and blocks it solidly off the back foot.

South Africa's skipper, Aiden Markram walks in next.

Arshdeep Singh to Reeza Hendricks, OUT! LBW! An excellent review from India and Arshdeep strikes in the first over. He bashes the length hard and gets some inswing from the middle and leg stump line. Reeza Hendricks is pinned in the crease and tries to work across, but gets beaten on the inside edge and is rapped on the inside half of the front pad. A massive appeal for LBW, but not given. Arshdeep is quite keen on taking the review and after chatting with his bowler and the keeper, Suryakumar Yadav opts for a review. Is it doing a bit too much and going down leg? Clear gap between bat and ball, says the third umpire. Ball Tracking shows that it is pitching in line and is projected to smash into the leg stump. Reeza Hendricks departs without troubling the scorers as he goes for 0 (3).

Arshdeep Singh to Reeza Hendricks, BEAUTY! At 131.9 kph, this one shapes away again, a bit more sharply this time, on a good length. Reeza Hendricks is beaten all ends up again on the outside edge.

Arshdeep Singh to Reeza Hendricks, BEATEN! Hard length, nipping away on top of middle. Reeza Hendricks is squared up completely as he tries to block. Plays inside the line and gets outfoxed on the outside edge.

Arshdeep Singh to Quinton de Kock, The Proteas and QDK are off the mark straightaway! A bit of outswing on a fullish length, outside off. Quinton de Kock strides across and drives it through the point region for a single.

We are all set to get going at 1,457 metres above sea level. The stands have filled up nicely, with the crowd well prepped for the chilly evening ahead. Suryakumar Yadav leads his troops out to the middle. It will be the left-hand, right-hand combination of Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks to open the innings for South Africa. Arshdeep Singh has the new ball in hand. Arshdeep to de Kock. Two slips in place. The countdown is done. Let's go...

India (Playing XI) - Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Harshit Rana (In for Jasprit Bumrah), Kuldeep Yadav (In for Axar Patel), Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

South Africa (Playing XI) - Quinton de Kock (WK), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (C), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs (In for David Miller), Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch (In for George Linde), Anrich Nortje (In for Lutho Sipamla), Lungi Ngidi, and Ottneil Baartman.

The captain of South Africa, Aiden Markram, says that it is a beautiful venue but underlines that it is a bit different from Joburg at this time of the year. Adds that it is very chilly and the wicket looks pretty good. Highlights that they responded very well in the second T20I after performing underwhelmingly in the first match. Stresses on assessing the conditions up front and putting on a big score. Feels very fortunate to play at this venue. Says that the boys are very excited for this important game. Adds that they want to be a team that is consistent. Informs that they have three changes in the side for this match as David Miller, Lutho Sipamla, and George Linde make way for Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, and Anrich Nortje.

The Indian captain, Suryakumar Yadav, feels it looks like a good wicket and says that there is already a bit of dew around and it is expected to get heavier later in the night. Talks about what a wonderful place this is and the warmth of the people, and hopes the team can put on an entertaining show for the crowd. He stresses that every game is important and highlights the need to bounce back quickly. Feels that if the side stays switched on for all three hours, they can deliver. On the team news front, he informs that Axar Patel is unwell, while Jasprit Bumrah misses out due to personal reasons and has returned home.

TOSS - The flip of the coin lands in favor of India, and Suryakumar Yadav elects to BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta informs that it is a chilly evening. He points out that it is a relatively small ground, with the square boundaries measuring 64 metres on one side and 65 metres on the other, while the straight boundary is about 74 metres. Pommie Mbangwa feels the grass with this hands and says the hands are already wet, which is a clear sign that the dew has set in already. He notes that there is an even covering of grass on the surface, and while there are a few cracks, they are nothing to worry about. Overall, the pitch looks very good. With the high altitude, he expects the ball to travel. Pommie informs that in T20Is, the average here is 8 sixes per match, while in the IPL it is 15. Believes that for the bowlers, it will be about using all their variations, while batters will need to assess conditions early before cashing in.

From that 2015 clash at this venue, only David Miller and Jasprit Bumrah remain in their respective squads. The altitude and bone-chilling cold aren't easy to adapt to. Though most of them have played in the IPL here, playing at the international level brings a different set of challenges. And it will be crucial to see who adapts to these conditions better. Expect high scores due to shorter boundary dimensions, although the dip in the temperatures in single digits later in the evening could assist the pacers with the new ball as well. Stay tuned as the toss and team updates are on the other side very shortly.

South Africa will take plenty of encouragement from Quinton de Kock's scintillating knock and the middle order contributions that powered their strong finish from the likes of Donovan Ferreira and David Miller. With the ball, Lungi Ngidi has been the difference-maker, while Ottneil Baartman's four-wicket haul in the last game showed the depth in their attack. If the Proteas execute the same template even more effectively, India could be in real trouble. The spotlight also falls on Dewald Brevis. He’s gotten starts but hasn’t converted them into substantial scores yet. Skipper Aiden Markram's form is another concern as his last fifty in T20Is came back in the 2022 T20 World Cup. That’s a long drought for someone of his calibre, and he’ll be desperate to find form here. Under their rotational policy, it will be interesting to see who goes out and who comes in, if any changes are made.

What went wrong with the hosts last time around? Is it too much experimentation with the batting order? Or they just underperformed? Both, actually. But the bigger concern is the form of Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill. The captain and his deputy are both struggling as neither has scored a fifty in T20Is this calendar year. When your top leadership isn't consistent, the entire batting lineup feels the heat at times. A lot of burden is on Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma to attack, and that also leaves the middle order to switch roles to anchor rather than slog. Sending a spin-basher like Dube at number 8 hasn’t done justice to his role either. Anyone can have off days, and with the ball, Bumrah and Arshdeep will need to shrug off their struggles from their previous stint and come back stronger to support Varun Chakaravarthy, who has been simply outstanding so far with his mystery spin.

The Dhauladhar ranges look stunning with their snowcapped peaks, but they're brutal to scale. The same goes for this series, as nothing's coming easy. India are under pressure now. South Africa keep pushing them back every time they seem to take control. Another defeat here, and the tourists get serious leverage for the remaining matches. Turn your calendars back to 2015. Same venue. A left-handed bloke named Jean-Paul Duminy took the game away from India's grasp while chasing 200. That's the only time these two sides have met in Dharamsala. The Indians haven't forgotten. Now they get a chance to set the record straight.

Cricket is a game of uncertainties - that's the cliché everyone loves to quote. But it is also a great leveller. Cuttack saw India dominate completely, only for South Africa to roar back strongly in Mullanpur and level the series. Now we move up further north to the foothills of the Himalayas, where the third T20I becomes absolutely crucial with the series locked at 1-1. Welcome to our coverage on this Super Sunday. Always a pleasure to have you all join us.

... MATCH DAY ...

The T20I series caravan has arrived at the foothills of the Himalayas for the third T20I at Dharamsala’s picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. As they say, sport is a great leveller, and the first two games of this five-match series have been the perfect illustration. India handed South Africa a drubbing in the opener, only to find themselves on the receiving end in New Chandigarh. After being bowled out for their lowest T20I total in the first match, South Africa produced a stunning turnaround in the second. Quinton de Kock’s sparkling 90, supported by key contributions from the middle order, powered them to 213. In reply, India never found any rhythm with the bat. From India’s perspective, the lack of runs from Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill continues to be a concern. Tilak Varma has been fairly consistent, but the hosts have been far too reliant on Abhishek Sharma to provide quick starts. With the ball, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah had an off day in Mullanpur. Their yorkers repeatedly went wrong in the dewy conditions, and neither appeared to have a Plan B, or were reluctant to turn to one. After going unchanged in the second game, India may consider a tweak or two here, with Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana among the possible inclusions. As for South Africa, their pace attack has been the standout across both matches. Their quicks have assessed conditions superbly and, arguably, have outbowled their Indian counterparts so far. Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi set the tone upfront in Mullanpur, while Lutho Sipamla and Ottneil Baartman made life difficult for the Indians in the middle and at the death. In the batting department, Aiden Markram's extended lean patch in T20Is remains a concern. However, the positives include de Kock rediscovering form since coming out of retirement, along with David Miller and Donovan Ferreira playing their roles with aplomb. The Proteas made as many as three changes in New Chandigarh as part of their rotational policy, and it remains to be seen whether they persist with that approach as the five-match series reaches a crucial juncture in Dharamsala. Who are you backing to take the lead?