Johannesburg (TIP)- Captain Suryakumar Yadav produced a hundred of rare brilliance and Kuldeep Yadav worked his magic with the ball as India registered a comprehensive 106-run series-levelling win over South Africa in the third and final T20I here on December 14.
Suryakumar’s 100 off 56 balls that contained seven fours and eight sixes and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fluent 60 off 41 balls carried India to 201/7 after the visitors were asked to bat first.
The Indian bowlers, especially left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep (5/17), who turned 29 today, managed to hit better lengths to bundle out SA for 95 in 13.5 overs.
But for that, India need to thank Suryakumar. The 33-year-old exploited the opportunity to bat on a bone-dry surface, making his fourth T20I century, joining teammate Rohit Sharma and Australian Glenn Maxwell as batters with that many three-figure scores in the shortest format. Suryakumar and Jaiswal made 112 runs for an entertaining fourth-wicket alliance and trusted the true nature of the Wanderers’ pitch to unfurl shots of the highest quality.
Their partnership also allowed India to wriggle out of a bit of a tight space after losing Shubman Gill (8) and Tilak Varma (0) off successive balls in the third over to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. India were 29/2 at that point.
Brief scores: India: 201/7 in 20 overs (Suryakumar 100, Jaiswal 60; Maharaj 2/26, Williams 2/46); South Africa: 95 all out in 13.5 overs (Miller 35; Kuldeep 5/17, Jadeja 2/25).