Jasprit Bumrah did not play any part in the third T20I between India and South Africa at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium inb Dharamsala on Sunday.
The Indian fast bowler had to return home for personal reasons before the third T20I in Dharamsala. According to reliable sources, a very close family member of the bowler is currently hospitalised, necessitating his return.
“If all goes well, then he might return for the fourth or even fifth game (in Ahmedabad). But first priority is recovery of his family member,” a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying to PTI on conditions of anonymity.
India 2-1 Up!
India delivered an impressive all-round performance to defeat South Africa by seven wickets on Sunday, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I
series at Dharamsala. The victory was anchored by disciplined bowling that restricted the visitors to a modest 117, before Indian batters chased down the target in just 15.5 overs.
South Africa, put in to bat, struggled to build momentum as regular wickets disrupted their partnerships. Indian bowlers shared the wickets efficiently, with all six used in the innings striking at least once. Stand-in pacer Harshit Rana made an immediate impact, dismissing Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis in quick succession. Earlier, Arshdeep Singh had successfully reviewed an lbw call to remove Reeza Hendricks for a duck, setting the tone for India’s dominance.
Captain Aiden Markram stood out amid the collapse, scoring 61 off 46 balls, accounting for more than half of South Africa’s total. He attempted a late counterattack, hitting two sixes off Rana to reach his half-century, but soon edged Arshdeep to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma. Hardik Pandya marked a milestone by claiming his 100th T20I wicket with the dismissal of Tristan Stubbs, while Varun Chakravarthy reached 50 T20I wickets by bowling Donovan Ferreira. Kuldeep Yadav then wrapped up the tail as South Africa were bowled out for 117.
India’s chase began briskly, with Abhishek Sharma launching an aggressive assault that included three fours and three sixes. His fluent 35 provided early momentum before he fell to Corbin Bosch. Shubman Gill continued confidently but was dismissed for 28 by Marco Jansen as South Africa briefly tightened the screws in the middle overs. Suryakumar Yadav struck a couple of boundaries before departing for 12, but any hopes of a comeback were short-lived.
Shivam Dube sealed the contest emphatically, smashing Baartman for a six and a four in consecutive deliveries to take India home comfortably. With this comprehensive victory, the hosts now hold a 2-1 advantage heading into the fourth T20I, scheduled to be played in Lucknow on Wednesday.
(With inputs from Agencies)
