India vs South Africa: Third T20I Match Preview

Match Overview

In the third T20I against South Africa, India’s skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, won the toss and elected to bowl first at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The decision was influenced by the weather conditions and potential dew later in the evening.

Key Changes in the Indian Squad

India made two significant changes to their lineup:

• Jasprit Bumrah was unavailable due to personal reasons.
• Axar Patel was ruled out after falling ill.

To compensate, Harshit Rana was introduced to enhance the pace attack, while Kuldeep Yadav returned to the squad to strengthen the spin department. With the series tied at 1-1, India aimed to chase under the lights.

South Africa’s Strategy

South Africa also adjusted their lineup, welcoming back:

• Corbin Bosch
• Tristan Stubbs
• Anrich Nortje

Notable absences included David Miller, George Linde, and Lutho Sipamla as the visitors sought to build on their momentum from a convincing victory in the second T20I.

Captains’ Insights

At the toss, South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram noted the cold conditions in Dharamsala, contrasting them with those in Johannesburg. He expressed optimism about the pitch’s improvement as the match unfolded and emphasized the need for consistency after their prior success.

Suryakumar Yadav echoed Markram’s sentiments about the dew and highlighted the excellent playing conditions at Dharamsala. He stressed the importance of playing with intensity and a positive mindset following their last performance.

Playing XI

South Africa (Playing XI):

• Reeza Hendricks
• Quinton de Kock (w)
• Aiden Markram (c)
• Dewald Brevis
• Tristan Stubbs
• Donovan Ferreira
• Marco Jansen
• Corbin Bosch
• Anrich Nortje
• Lungi Ngidi
• Ottneil Baartman

India (Playing XI):

• Abhishek Sharma
• Shubman Gill
• Suryakumar Yadav (c)
• Tilak Varma
• Hardik Pandya
• Shivam Dube
• Jitesh Sharma (w)
• Harshit Rana
• Arshdeep Singh
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Varun Chakaravarthy

Conclusion

With both teams making strategic changes and adapting to the challenging conditions, the third T20I promises to be an exciting and crucial contest in the increasingly competitive series.