Cricket Highlights, Dec 14: South Africa tour of India 2025 (3rd T20I) – SA vs IND

SA vs IND (3rd T20I) – Highlights

 

The picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala provided a chilly backdrop for the 3rd T20I between India and South Africa, but the on-field action was decisively heated in favor of the hosts. In a match defined by swing bowling excellence and a disciplined spin attack, India outclassed the Proteas in every department to secure a comfortable seven-wicket victory with more than four overs to spare. The contest was effectively decided in the first innings, where a catastrophic top-order collapse left South Africa chasing the game from the very first over.

 

Batting first, SA endured a nightmare start against the moving ball. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana utilized the atmospheric conditions to perfection, decimating the visitor’s top order. The scorecard read a dismal 7 for 3 within the fourth over, as Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock, and Dewald Brevis were sent back to the pavilion with single-digit scores. The early damage rendered the South African powerplay ineffective, placing immense pressure on the middle order to reconstruct the innings. Arshdeep Singh was particularly spectacular, finishing with figures of 2 for 13, a spell that earned him the Player of the Match award.

 

Amidst the carnage, SA captain Aiden Markram stood tall, playing a lone hand of resistance. While wickets tumbled around him, Markram composed a gritty 61 off 46 balls, striking six boundaries and two sixes. He found a brief ally in Donovan Ferreira, who chipped in with a quick 20, but the Indian bowlers were relentless. The introduction of spin further stifled the scoring rate. Varun Chakravarthy was miserly, conceding just 11 runs in his four-over spell while claiming two wickets, and Kuldeep Yadav cleaned up the tail with two scalps of his own. South Africa was eventually bowled out for a below-par 117 on the final ball of the innings.

 

Chasing a modest target of 118, the IND openers approached the crease with aggressive intent. Abhishek Sharma dismantled the South African attack early on, blasting a rapid 35 off just 18 deliveries. His innings, studded with three fours and three sixes, broke the back of the chase inside the powerplay. Although Sharma fell to Corbin Bosch, he had already set the required run rate to a comfortable tempo. Shubman Gill played the role of the anchor perfectly, scoring a composed 28 runs to ensure there were no further alarms.

 

Despite losing Gill and Captain Suryakumar Yadav in the middle overs, the result was never in doubt. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 26, showing maturity and composure to guide the team home. He was joined by Shivam Dube, who finished the game in style with a flurry of boundaries. IND reached 120 for 3 in just 15.5 overs, sealing a comprehensive win that delighted the Dharamsala crowd. The victory highlighted India’s depth in bowling resources and their ability to chase down totals with clinical precision.

---

South Africa vs India Scoreboard

 

South Africa – 117/10 (20)

India – 120/3 (20)

Result – India won by 7 wickets (with 25 balls remaining)

Player of the Match – Arshdeep Singh

 

Arshdeep Singh

 

SA vs IND Playing XIs

 

South Africa	Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman.
India	Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.