File image of Arshdeep Singh.© AFP
Seamer Arshdeep Singh became India’s second-highest wicket-taker in men’s T20Is as the Men in Blue defeated South Africa by 11 runs in the third 20-over match of the series in Centurion. In T20Is, Arshdeep has picked up 92 wickets from 59 innings at an economy rate of 8.34 and an average of 18.47. The India pacer is now four wickets short of leapfrogging Yuzvendra Chahal and becoming India’s top wicketer in the shortest format. In the third T20I match of the series, Arshdeep Singh surpassed Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to achieve the milestone.
Bumrah has 89 wickets in T20Is from 69 innings at an economy rate of 6.27. While Bhuvneshwar has 90 wickets from 86 innings at an economy rate of 6.96.
Recapping the match, South Africa won the toss and decided to field.
Abhishek Sharma (50 runs from 25 balls, 3 fours and 5 sixes) and Tilak Varma (107* runs from 56 balls, 8 fours and 7 sixes) displayed a stupendous knock and powered India to 219/6 in the first inning. Other Men in Blue batters failed to shine with the bat.
Andile Simelane and Keshav Maharaj led the Proteas bowling attack as they bagged two wickets each in their respective spell.
During the run chase, Heinrich Klaasen (41 runs from 22 balls, 1 four and 4 sixes) and Marco Jansen (54 runs from 17 balls, 4 fours and 5 sixes) played a blitzkrieg knock and kept the Proteas in the game. But with the help of Arshdeep, it was India who smiled in the end.
Arshdeep did the job both with the new ball and in the death overs as he picked up three crucial wickets and gave 37 runs in his four-over spell. Varun Chakaravarthy bagged two wickets in his four-over spell.
Tilak Varma was named the ‘Player of the Match’ following his staggering performance with the bat.
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