SAvIND, 3rd T20 - Match Report: Suresh Raina's all-round heroics help India clinch thriller, win series

Suresh Raina scored a quick-fire 43 and grabbed the key wicket of David Miller as India defeated hosts South Africa by seven runs to claim a 2-1 victory in their T20 International series at Newlands on Saturday.

Sent in to bat, India, without injured captain Virat Kohli, posted 172 for seven in their 20 overs before restricting South Africa to 165 for six. Raina’s runs came from just 27 balls as he caressed five fours and a six, putting on 65 for the second wicket with opener Shikhar Dhawan (47 from 40 balls).

Seamer Junior Dala (3-35) was the pick of the home bowlers as he posted career-best figures. South Africa made a sluggish start to their reply and were always behind the required run-rate.

Explosive Miller (24 from 23 balls) was elevated to open the batting, but was bogged down by the line of the Indian bowlers and fell to Raina (1-27 in three overs) as he tried to up the tempo. Only captain JP Duminy (55 from 41 balls) and debutant Christiaan Jonker (49 from 24 balls) were able to muster innings of substance.

South Africa required 19 off the final over bowled by the excellent Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-24), but were restricted to just a single boundary to fall short of their target. India’s two-month tour of South Africa is now at an end. The home side won the test series 2-1, but were thumped 5-1 in the One-Day Internationals.

Earlier on Saturday, India go to 172/7 batting first in the third and final T20 against South Africa thanks to Raina and Dhawan's contributions.

Put in to bat first after Proteas skipper JP Duminy won the toss, India achieved a slightly below par score at Newlands, Cape Town.

The visitors were dealt a major blow even before the first ball was bowled. Talismanic leader Virat Kohli was ruled out of the match due to a stiff back, and Rohit Sharma was declared the stand-in skipper. This promotion, though, had no bearing on Rohit's performance. He once again perished cheaply, out LBW to Junior Dala.

Dala on the other hand, had a phenomenal outing. Picking up three wickets and effecting Shikhar Dhawan's run-out with a direct hit from the boundary.

Dhawan, though, played a decent hand. His 47, along with Suresh Raina's 43, propelled India to a respectable total.

India went in with three changes - Dinesh Karthik, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel were called up in place of Kohli, Jaydev Unadkat and Yuzvendra Chahal, respectively. 

Having won the five-match ODI series already, India will aim to return home with two trophies. The three-match T20I series is currently tied at 1-1. India won the first game by 28 runs in Johannesburg, but tasted six-wicket defeat in the second after extraordinary innings from Henrich Klaasen and JP Duminy.

It will be a T20I debut for the India at Newlands as the tourists have never played the shortest format of the game in Cape Town. South Africa, on the other hand, have lost five of the eight games played at the venue.

Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni , Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah.

South Africa: David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, JP Duminy (capt), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Farhaan Berhadien, Christiaan Jonker, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Aaron Phangiso, Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi.

Brief Scores

India: 172 for 7 in 20 overs. (S Dhawan 47, S Raina 43, H Pandya 21; J Dala 3/35, C Morris 2/43).

South Africa: 165 for six in 20 overs. (JP Duminy 55, D Miller 24; B Kumar 2/24).

(Inputs from Reuters)