India suffered a 49-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in the third and final T20I at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Tuesday, with the Proteas denying the hosts a series sweep.
India had won the first two T20Is to clinch the three-match series with a game to spare, and the team management decided to rest the likes of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, which even meant Rishabh Pant opening with Rohit Sharma.
Winning the toss, India put South Africa to bat first. The Proteas rode on Quinton de Kock (68) and a fine maiden T20I century from Rilee Rossouw (100*) to put up 227/3 on board.
In reply, India could manage only 178, with Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav all enduring low scores.
Here are five talking points from the third T20I:
Deepak Chahar tries to ‘run-out’ non-striker Tristan Stubbs
In the 16th over of the South African innings, India bowler Deepak Chahar noticed non-striker Tristan Stubbs backing up too much, and the former decided to pause his run-up in order to give Stubbs a warning. However, unlike the Deepti Sharma-Charlie Dean incident very recently that created controversy and divided opinions, Deepak Chahar opted against dismantling the stumps on Tuesday.
Deepak chahar trying to run out non striker Stubbs #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/zXvVOztHlj
— Latest_News_update_official💫💫💫 (@ramvish93296061) October 4, 2022
While running out of the non-striker for backing up too much has been debated among the cricket fraternity, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), in it’s latest Laws of Cricket that came into effect from 1 October this year, changed the same from ‘unfair play’ (Law 41) to ‘run-out’ (Law 38).
Stubbs went onto score 23 runs off 18 balls, while Chahar finished with figures of 1/48.
Rilee Rossouw back to form with ton
Before this game, South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw had not managed to score a single run in this series, having got out for consecutive ducks.
However, on Tuesday, Rossouw scripted a match-winning comeback, scoring his maiden T20I century, that came in just 48 deliveries.
Sometimes, you’ve just got to applaud 🔥 batting…
Well played, Rilee Rossouw! 👏#SAvIND
[📸: @BCCI] pic.twitter.com/qvSBhKSimd
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) October 4, 2022
Rossouw was brought in at number three for the Proteas, who lost Temba Bavuma at the start of the fifth over.
Rossouw hit Umesh Yadav for consecutive fours in the first over of his batting, and it was aggressive batting from Rossouw since then. The 32-year-old hit seven fours and eight sixes in his knock. He reached his fifty inside 27 deliveries, and needed just 21 balls to register his century, reaching the milestone in 48 balls.
Rossouw, who forged big stands with de Kock and Tristan Stubbs, was eventually named Player of the Match.
Dinesh Karthik steadies ship after shaky start
With India having rested both KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, the Men in Blue tried out a different opening combination, sending in Rishabh Pant with Rohit Sharma to open.
India lost Rohit (0) and Shreyas Iyer (1) inside two overs, and it was Dinesh Karthik who joined Pant in the middle. Karthik was involved in a 41-run stand with Pant for the third wicket, and a 33-run stand for the fourth wicket with Suryakumar Yadav.
Karthik got to 46 off just 21 deliveries, scoring four fours and as many sixes in the process. However, despite a relatively lesser time at the crease as far as number of deliveries are concerned, Pant too made an impact with 27 off just 14 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes.
While Dinesh Karthik has time and again proven with his finishing abilities, this was for the first time in a long time that Karthik has got a significant time with the bat in the middle.
Pant, too, showed his aggressive best. He hit Ngidi for a four off the first ball, then later on in the over, a six, four and another six, before being taken at cover-point by Stubbs.
India’s lower-order contribution
A target of 228 seemed improbable for any Indian team that did not have Virat Kohli or KL Rahul in their playing XI. However, in spite of the big total to chase down in such a small span of 20 overs, there was significant fightback from the lower-order batters.
India lost R Ashwin in the 13th over, with their score reading 120/8. They looked set for a very heavy defeat, but in came Umesh Yadav at number 10. Umesh Yadav may have scored just a couple of fours in his 17-ball unbeaten 20, but it was his resilience with Deepak Chahar (31) that stood out for the Indian lower-order. Chahar played a relatively aggressive knock, a 31 off 17 that consisted of two fours and three sixes.
The duo built a 48-run stand off just 26 deliveries for the ninth wicket, but with that stand, they showed that they could frustrate the opposition on their day.
David Miller goes big!
It’s the second ball of the 20th over. South Africa have just lost Tristan Stubbs with Chahar striking. In comes David Miller, and goes berserk in the second ball he faces. The first one ends up as a dot ball, but his second ball he faces is a no-ball from Chahar that Miller hits out of the ground, and onto the roof. A six, and it’s a free-hit.
A six on the roof by David Miller. pic.twitter.com/qp0lLPBAcL
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 4, 2022
Free-hit ball, and it’s another six. Short ball from Chahar, and Miller clobbers one over deep midwicket for a maximum.
Miller would then collect another six off the penultimate ball, before finishing the innings with a single to take the Proteas to 227.
With three sixes in less than an over, Miller would go onto finish his innings unbeaten on 19 offjust five deliveries.
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