IND vs SA 3rd T20I Live Score: Suryakumar Yadav Leads India’s Fight to Level Series at Centurion

IND vs SA 3rd T20I Live Score: It was due to Tilak Varma smashing his maiden century that India achieved a score of 219/6 in 20 overs. In the second over after Sanju Samson went for a duck, Tilak came in to bat and remained unbeaten on 107 off 56 balls. The mammth second wicket partnership he put up with opener Abhishek Sharma was incidentally also worth 107 runs in 52 balls.

Abhishek returned to form with a half-century, scoring 50 off 25 balls before falling in the 10th over to Keshav Maharaj. The spinner then took charge as South Africa fought back to get four quick wickets that would have dented India's progression into the death overs. Tilak, however, stood strong and scored his third T20I half-century.

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Tilak then went on to clean up the South Africans in the death overs. In the process, he brought up his century with a four off the fifth ball of the 19th over. He was ably helped by debutant Ramandeep Singh in the last few overs, with the all-rounder hitting a six off the very first ball that he faced in international cricket. Ramandeep was run out off the second last ball of the innings having scored 15 off six balls.

Centurion Aiden Markram earlier won the toss and elected to bowl first. All-rounder Ramandeep Singh has been given his maiden cap, with India omitting pacer Avesh Khan from the third T20I. South Africa prevented India from equaling their record winning streak in T20Is in the low scoring thriller that was the second T20I in Gqeberha. India could manage just 125, where they lost the match despite the big haul by spinner Varun Chakravarthy. The four-match series is levelled 1-1 and India will look for the revival of momentum in the third T20I at Centurion on Wednesday.

For the first and the second T20Is, spinners have played a vital role, but things may change for the third and fourth. India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh said he was okay to sit back and let the spinners do all the wicket-taking if that's the way they were going to win games. He added, "The South African batters seem to be struggling against India's spin and so the visitors' bowling tactics will be centred on Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi once again in Centurion.".

South Africa were on the money in the second T20I right from the first ball. Jansen started with a wicket-maiden and the Proteas went on to take three wickets in the powerplay, including that of India captain Suryakumar Yadav. It was only after all that South Africa took half their side to 75 by the time the 12th over came around.

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Hardik Pandya tried to give them some momentum in the last overs after being off to a sedate start but ended up unbeaten on just 39 runs off 45 balls as India scored 124/6.

India began well in defending that low score, with Arshdeep and Chakravarthy striking in the powerplay, and the latter striking again in the eighth over. Chakravarthy dismissed Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller off consecutive balls to bring up his five-wicket haul in a spell that left South Africa in tatters despite chasing only 125.

The rest of the Indian bowlers then came good, supporting Chakravarthy well, and it put the visitors in the driver's seat going into the death overs of the Proteas' innings. However, in that stage, it was Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee who sent pacers Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan to the cleaners and propelled South Africa to victory.

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