Skipper Suryakumar Yadav scored a record-equalling hundred, before Kuldeep Yadav’s fifer bundled out South Africa as India cruised to a 106-run win - its biggest against the Proteas in terms of runs - in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The record win meant India drew the three-match series 1-1, after having fallen to a five-wicket defeat in the second T20I, following a washout in the first.
After being inserted, India rode on the brilliance of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his third T20I fifty, and Suryakumar to post a huge total of 201 for seven in 20 overs.
HIGHLIGHTS - INDIA vs SOUTH AFRICA 3RD T20
Suryakumar’s ton was his fourth in the format, drawing him level with compatriot Rohit Sharma and Australia’s Glenn Maxwell for most centuries in T20Is.
The Indian captain didn’t enjoy the greatest of starts as he struggled to get going, batting as he was on 27 off 25 balls at one stage.
But he soon got back into his groove with his trademark inventive stroke-making and raced to his hundred in 55 balls.
South Africa’s chase never really took off, with Mohammed Siraj kicking things off with a fiery maiden over. The Indian bowlers, led by Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja, struck at regular intervals, with the former securing his career-best bowling figures in T20Is.
India, though, will fret over the fitness of Suryakumar, who rolled his ankle while fielding and was taken off the field. Vice-captain Jadeja took over the leadership of the team in his absence.
India’s comfortable win also ensured that a technical glitch in the Decision Review System (DRS), which prevented the side from taking a review for a caught behind appeal against David Miller, failed to become a major talking point.
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