India restricted South Africa to 165/6. (BCCI Photo)
India managed to hang-on to a nervy seven-run win over South Africa in the third and final T20I in Cape Town. Chasing a target of 173, South Africa were too slow in the innings until JP Duminy (55) and Christaan Jonker did some hitting. Jonker scored 49 off 24 balls to give South Africa a chance but India bowlers managed to get them home. Earlier, India lost regular wickets in the middle and death overs which gave South Africa a chance to come back and restrict India to only 172/7. Batting first, India were moving towards a good total with Raina and Dhawan scoring quick runs. But both fell, Raina for 43 and Dhawna for 47, and no other batsman was able to give India a late push and take the total towards 200. India were playing without Virat Kohli with Rohit leading the team. (India vs South Africa Scorecard)
Virat Kohli receives the ICC mace for being the number one Test team in the world. This is the second year in succession that India will keep the mace. Virat Kohli says that "his team is playing at 80 percent of their level and they haven't played at the level in which they would like to around the world. A team has to play 95 to 100 percent around the world to remain at the top"
Rohit Sharma "I thought we were short. We lost our way towards the end. Ideally you look to get more runs in the last 4 overs with wickets in hand. It's important for our top three to stay at the crease and it was throughtout the series. Last match our middle order came up and I hope it can happen more. A lot of credit to the new ball bowlers and spinners have chipped. Complete bowling performance. As a group we are ready with any situation we are thrown at and that is why we are standing here winning the ODI series 5-1 and T20I series 2-1."
Bhuvi: "I have enjoyed this tour. Thanks to IPL, it has made be a good bowler. It's very important to not give away many runs in the first six overs. I look to keep it very simple and the knuckle and yorker balls come into the scene."
Suresh Raina: "Especially in the first six over, you need to attack. Thanks to Kohli and Ravi bhai to give me the license to play by natural game. I think what we have done in the last two months, I think no team has done for long. Hopefully I will do more bowling"
India hang on for a seven-run win after the Christaan Jonker blitz. He is caught at covers off the final delivery but he hit a 24-ball 49. India win the match and also the series 2-1. They lost the Test series but came back to win the ODI and T20I series. South Africa finish at 165/6
Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes on to ball. The first ball is a tad wide but Jonker gets it away to sweeper and takes a single. The second is way wide but Behardien follows it and gets it over third-man for four. The third ball is to long-off and its a single. A wide from Bhuvi now! South Africa need 12 off 3 balls. The next one is a yorker but South Africa take two on that. 10 off 2 balls now
South Africa are still in this game! They take 16 runs from the penultimate over of the innings to keep themselves alive. Jonker doing the hitting for them. They need 19 runs from the final over with Jonker on strike. Bhuvneshwar to bowl
18 runs off the 18th over and South Africa are still in it. All the runs are scored by debutant Jonker. The first ball was hit for a six, the second for four. It was followed by a dot ball but a four off the next. Another dot but the final was another four. South Africa need 35 off 12 balls
South Africa need 53 runs off the last three overs. Jonker and Behardien are the two batsmen for them. Can they script a miracle? Shardul Thakur will bowl the 18th over. India cannot relax here and let things move towards South Africa's way
BOWLED! Good bowling from Jasprit Bumrah. Keeping it stump-to-stump and he gets his reward. Morris misses a straight delivery and is bowled. South Africa five down now
Is that the match for India? JP Duminy falls after a magnificent innings for South Africa. A knuckle ball from Thakur and Duminy is already into his shot. He has to reach for the ball and that make his stretch. The ball is high up in the air and Rohit Sharma takes a good catch
South Africa captain JP Duminy is leading from the front. He scores his half-century and keeps the fight on! South Africa will hope Duminy stays there till the end to lead them to a series win. Brilliant innings from the captain
100 up for South Africa with only 3 wickets down. JP Duminy and Jonker are the two batsmen out in the middle. Five overs remaining and they need 72 runs from 30 balls. Duminy can hit big and so can Behardien (the next batsman in). Chris Morris can hit big too.
JP Duminy began the innings slowly. He rotated the strike, concentrated on singles and doubles but then he got that over from Axar Patel where he smoked two big sixes. After that over, Duminy has been playing freely. He is moving closer to a fifty
12 runs from that Suresh Raina as Jonker gets two boundaries! South Africa are still way off their target but Duminy still going strong. They need 82 runs off 36 balls. Jasprit Bumrah will bowl the 15th over. Can he close this game for India?
Wicket for India! Hardik Pandya has been exceptional today and is now rewarded with a wicket Klaasen tries to hit a big one but fails to clear the fence. Bhuvneshwar Kumar takes a good low catch to get his wicket. Pandya picks up his first wicket. He finishes his spell for 4-0-22-1
16 runs from Axar Patel which has taken South Africa's score to 74 for the loss of two wickets. Was that the over which gave Duminy to go ahead? They need 99 more runs from 48 balls to win this game. Hardik Pandya comes on to bowl and he will finish his spell here
Axar Patel is into the attack to bowl the 12th over. South Africa are 58 for 2. JP Duminy attacks Patel. The first is a six over finel-leg, the second is another six over mid-wicket. Duminy is going after him. 16 runs from the over
South Africa have reached the halfway mark in the chase. At a rate of 5.20 runs per over, they have scored 52 runs for the loss of two wickets. They need 121 more runs off 60 delivery. That is 2 runs per ball to win this game. Duminy and Klaasen at the crease for them
GONE! The move has worked for India. It was short from Raina and Miller went after it. But with no pace on it, Miller could not time it properly and it goes high up in the air. Axar Patel is positioned at deep square leg and holds on to the catch. Raina is excited
A boundary in that over from Suresh Raina. A short ball was cracked through covers by Miller but that was the only loose delivery. Eight runs from that over and South Africa reach 38 for the loss of one wicket after 8 overs. They need 135 from 72 balls from here
Seven overs bowled and South Africa are 30 for the loss of one wicket. With two left-handers at the crease in Miller and Duminy, Rohit brings on Suresh Raina, the off-spinner. India need wickets as these two are very dangerous batsmen.
India have kept South Africa under control in the powerplay. At the end of six overs, South Africa are 25 for 1 and need 148 more runs from 84 balls. The Indian pace trio of Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar and Thakur doing the good job. But the pair of Miller and Duminy is very dangerous. Pandya into the attack now
South Africa won't mind this slow start. The pitch is on the slower side but if they can attack the other bowlers and play out Bhuvneshwar Kumar, they have a chance to score quick runs later in the innings. Bhuvi to bowl his third over. South Africa are 18 for the loss of one wicket after four overs.
First wicket for India and it is to the name of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Hendricks tried to play the ball on the leg-side but he closed the face of the bat too early. It's a knuckle ball from Bhuvi. Leading edge which goes high in the air. Shikhar Dhawan is under the ball and takes it comfortably.
South Africa openers David Miller and Hendricks are out in the middle for the chase of 173 runs in Cape Town. The pitch is a bit slow but it will be interesting to see if Bhuvneshwar can swing the ball. He will bowl the first over with Hendricks on strike.
In the final T20I against South Africa, India manage to post 172 for the loss of seven wickets in Cape Town. Some late wickets for South Africa which pushed back India and they could manage only 172/7. South Africa would be happy with the 173-run target and would fancy their chances of winning the match and the series. Raina scored 43, Dhawan managed 47 but there was no one else who could provide India the late burst to push the total towards 200
That is not goot for India. Hardik Pandya goes for the big shot only to get a leading edge which goes high up in the air and Klaasen calls for the catch. He takes it as well. India reach 163 for the loss of six wickets with four balls remaining in this innings
15 runs and a wicket from that penultimate over. MS Dhoni is the wicket to fall. Dala gives away 15 runs in that over and India are 162 for the loss of five wickets. Chris Morris will be bowling the final over of the innings. Dinesh Karthik will be on strike for India, Can India reach 180 here?
GONE! MS Dhoni cannot clear the boundary! Junior Dala gets the big wicket of MS Dhoni. The delivery is a bit wide and Dhoni goes after it. It's a powerful shot from Dhoni but it gone high up in the air instead of going straight. Miller is right there to catch it. Dhoni is disappointed with that. Gone for 12
150 up for India off the first ball of the 19th over. Junior Dala returns into teh attack and the first ball has gone for four. MS Dhoni tries a big shot but he gets an inside edge which travels past the short fine-leg fielder for four. Not the best Dhoni shot but unlucky for Dala
So the runs are not flowing for India. This surface isn't allowing the ball to come to the bat with pace. MS Dhoni and Pandya are dealing in singles and doubles. Three overs remaining in this innings. The score is 136 for the loss of four wickets. Chris Morris will bowl the 18th over for South Africa. Dhoni on strike
Four overs remaining in India innings and they are 130 for the loss of four wickets. For a big total, a flurry of boundaries is needed. Both Pandey and MS Dhoni, the two batsmen out in the middel, are capable of doing that. But South Africa would not want that. Phehlukwayo is the bowler into the attack for the 17th over
Wow! A magnificent direct-hit from Junior Dala has run out Shikhar Dhawan. A one-handed pickup at deep square-leg and a powerful throw which catches Dhawan short of his crease as he called for the second run. Dhawan is run-out for 47. He doesn't even wait for the third umpire's decision. India lose their fourth wicket
India have played their 15 overs in this inning and have scored 125 runs for the loss of three wickets. The three to fall are Rohit, Raina and Pandey. Dhawan is playing well and looking good for a half-century. Hardik Pandya is the other batsman at the crease. India need a big total against this attacking South Africa team
GONE! This is poor cricket from Pandey as his half-hearted shot is skied and he is caught at long-on. Junior Dala returns to dismiss Pandey. It is slightly short from Dala and Pandey is in no position to play the pull shot (or any). He ends up skying the ball towards long-on where Miller is positioned. He gets under the ball and completes the catch. India three down
Shikhar Dhawan changing gears now! Some quick boudnaries for him. But he survives another catch. Tabrazi Shamsi is the catch-dropper again. He had earlier dropped Dhawan at short third-man. Now, Dhawan skies one and Shamsi is at fine-leg but makes a mess of it.
Shikhar Dhawan, who opened the innings, gets his first boundary in the 12th over! This was his 29th delivery. Very unlike Dhawan innings this but he manages to get another four off the final delivery and India cross the 100-run mark. India are 102 for the loss of two wickets after 12 overs. The South Africa spinners and the wicket of Raina have pushed India back in this innings
India were moving nicely with Raina and Dhawan but Shamsi broke that stand and pushed back India. At a rate of 8.10 runs per over, India have reached 81 for the loss of two wickets at the halfway mark in the innings. Manish Pandey, who played a brilliant innings in the first game, is out in the middle. A change in bowling for South Africa as Aaron Phangiso comes on to bowl the 11th over
GONE! Suresh Raina is dismissed against the run of play. He won't be happy with that. Playing nicely, Raina gets a fuller delivery from Shamsi and he gets under it. Gets the elevation there but doesn't get the distance. Behardien hangs onto a good catch at straight boundary. Raina looks disappointed as he was playing nicely. Dismissed for 43 and South Africa rejoice