After two disappointing outings in the first two T20 Internationals (T20Is) against South Africa, Yuzvendra Chahal was back at his best when India beat South Africa by 48 runs in the third game to keep the series alive. The cunning leg spinner had the South African middle order all the way out to sea, returning with numbers of 3/20. His list of victims was also quite controversial. He got Dwaine Pretorius, who has used it well as a pinch-hitter this series, Rassie van der Dussen, who played a key role in South Africa by winning the first T20I, and then Heinrich Klaasen, who was the match winner of the Proteas in the second T20I.
Former India pacer and current Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra credited Chahal, claiming he was back to his usual aggressive self, having been somewhat on the defensive side in the second T20I.
“The Chahal we know, the aggressive Chahal, we saw him today. The way he varies his pace, the way he varies his lengths, he showed that today,” Nehra said on Cricbuzz on Tuesday after the game.
“In the last game Klaasen hit very well, but somewhere Chahal maybe thought: ‘Maybe I was too defensive, maybe I should have thrown it more.’ Because that’s how he bowls,” he said.
Nehra said Chahal nearly ended South Africa’s chances in their pursuit of 180.
“Chahal had completely caught the batters in flight. And he got the numbers 3, 4 and 5 wickets. So by the time Chahal’s overs were done, South Africa was completely out of the game,” he said.
Half centuries of openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan helped India after 179/5.
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South Africa got 131 in return, while Harshal Patel took four in addition to Chahal’s magnificent spell.
South Africa lead the series 2-1 and the two teams now face each other in the fourth T20I in Rajkot on Friday.
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