Indian players celebrate after winning the third T20 International cricket against South Africa, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. - AP Photo/Themba Hadebe
CENTURION, South Africa (AP): Tilak Varma became the youngest batter to score a T20 hundred against South Africa, hitting a 56-ball 107 not out in India's 11-run win on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Varma hit eight fours and seven sixes in the third Twenty20 match at Centurion, combining well with Abhishek Sharma’s 50 off 25, as India finished at 219-6.
In reply, South Africa was held to 208-7 and Marco Jansen’s whirlwind 54 runs off 17 balls went in vain.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh picked up 3-37 in four overs for India, while mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy finished with 2-54.
India took a 2-1 lead in the four-match series. The final T20 will be played in Johannesburg on Friday.
Earlier, South Africa opted to field for the third straight game.
India opener Sanju Samson was out for a second consecutive duck on the back of consecutive centuries - bowled by Jansen once again.
Sharma found form though and scored his maiden T20 half-century. He hit three fours and five sixes altogether, putting on 107 with Varma for the second wicket.
India scored 70-1 in the powerplay as South Africa could only watch. Keshav Maharaj was finally introduced in the ninth over after India crossed 100, and he struck on the fourth ball - Sharma was out stumped.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav was out caught for one, while Maharaj struck another crucial blow as he trapped Hardik Pandya lbw for 18.
Suddenly, India was down to 132-4 in 12.5 overs with Rinku Singh (8) struggling to find his scoring touch.
Varma carried on his momentum, powering through to a first ODI hundred off 51 balls as India crossed the 200-mark.
Debutant Ramandeep Singh scored 15 off six balls.
In reply, South Africa struggled to get going. Ryan Rickelton was out bowled for 20 - playing onto his stumps off Singh.
Early in the chase, play was stopped for an odd reason - flying ants. The game resumed in 20 minutes with no overs lost.
Reeza Hendricks scored 21 off 13 before he was out stumped off Chakravarthy.
The wrist spinner struck again as skipper Aiden Markram scored 29 off 18 - including two sixes - before he was out caught in the deep.
India had a firm grip on the game when Tristan Stubbs (12) was out lbw, before Heinrich Klaasen tried to turn the game around.
He hit four powerful sixes - three coming in a row against Chakravarthy. When he was caught on 41 at deep point off Singh, the equation looked impossible for South Africa.
But Jansen struck five sixes and four fours in his first T20 half-century to bring the hosts close to the finish line.
Singh trapped Jansen lbw in the final over to pull off a hard-fought win for the world champions. - AP
