Suryakumar Yadav, often celebrated as one of the world’s premier T20 batters, has a unique talent for combining consistency with explosive aggression. Yet, in the current T20I series against South Africa, he has struggled to make his usual impact. After scores of 21 and 4 in the first two matches, he managed just one run in the third T20I, leaving fans and the team disappointed.
Suryakumar’s dismissal came in the tenth over, delivering a key breakthrough for South Africa. Bowler Andile Simelane targeted him with a full delivery pitched wide outside the off-stump, a tactic the South African side had seemingly prepared to counter Suryakumar’s go-to shots.
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Attempting his signature cut shot with an open face, Suryakumar tried to drive the ball over the infield but misjudged the shot, lacking the power and distance to clear the boundary. Marco Jansen, stationed at deep backward point, held onto a challenging catch, marking a crucial moment as South Africa claimed his prized wicket.
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Soon after, they struck again by dismissing Hardik Pandya, leaving India at a challenging 132-4 in the 13th over. Earlier, Indian captain Aiden Markram had elected to bowl first, and South Africa made early strides by dismissing Sanju Samson for his second consecutive duck.
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However, Abhishek Sharma steadied the innings with an essential half-century, countering the Proteas attack until he was outfoxed by spinner Keshav Maharaj. Tilak Varma stepped up next, maintaining the run rate with impressive shot-making that kept India’s scoreboard ticking. With a potential series lead on the line, India aimed to bounce back strongly after dropping the second match, hoping that their middle order could capitalize and post a competitive total on the board in Centurion.
