12/14/25 11:21:00
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12/14 11:20 CST India crushes South Africa to take 2-1 lead in T20 series
India crushes South Africa to take 2-1 lead in T20 series
DHARAMSALA, India (AP) --- Aiden Markram helped South Africa avoid another
unwanted batting record but couldn't prevent India winning a lopsided third
Twenty20 match by seven wickets on Sunday.
Put into bat, South Africa rallied from 7-3 to 117 all out in 20 overs and
India replied with 120-3 in 15.5 overs under the floodlights at Dharamsala to
take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
South Africa had looked in danger of scoring fewer runs than its series-opening
74, the team's worst total in T20 cricket, before Markram's defiant knock. The
South Africa captain hit two sixes and six fours in his 46-ball innings before
he was caught behind against pacer Arshdeep Singh (2-13 in four overs).
Kuldeep Yadav took 2-12 in his two overs, including the wicket of Ottneil
Baartman off the final ball of South Africa's innings.
India made light work of the chase. Openers Abhishek Sharma (35 runs off 18
balls) and Shubman Gill took the hosts to 43-0 after 3.1 overs, the same stage
at which South Africa was 7-3.
Sharma and Gill shared an opening stand of 60, which was ended by Markram
running to catch Sharma off the bowling of Corbin Bosch. Gill was bowled by
Marco Jansen for a run-a-ball 28. South Africa quick Lungi Ngidi (1-23)
dismissed India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who was caught by Baartman for 12.
Tilak Varma (26 not out) and Shivam Dube (10 not out) took India home in the
latest twist in an unpredictable series. South Africa won the second T20 by 51
runs after losing the first match by 101 runs.
The fourth T20 is on Wednesday at Lucknow.
The series is in preparation for the T20 World Cup in India in February. India
is the defending champion after beating South Africa in a gripping end to the
final in 2024.
India won the ODI series against South Africa 2-1 after losing the test series
2-0.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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