Dharamsala, Dec 14 (UNI) India won the toss and opted to bowl first against South Africa in the third T20 International of the series here today, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav citing the possibility of heavier dew later in the evening and largely unchanged pitch conditions.
Suryakumar said the surface had played well throughout the weekend and was unlikely to alter significantly during the match. He added that staying focused for the entire duration would be crucial for India’s chances.
India were forced into two changes for the match. All-rounder Axar Patel was ruled out after falling ill, while senior fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah returned home for personal reasons and was unavailable for the game. Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav were brought into the playing eleven in their place.
South Africa captain Aiden Markram described the conditions as very cold but said the wicket looked good and could improve as the game progressed. He said the hosts were eager to back up their improved performance in the previous match and show consistency.
The high-altitude venue, located about 1,457 metres above sea level, features short boundaries and traditionally produces high-scoring contests. Former players Pommie Mbangwa and Deep Dasgupta observed that bowlers face a minimal margin for error at this ground, while batters who assess conditions early can score freely.
South Africa made three changes, with Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje and Tristan Stubbs replacing David Miller, George Linde and Lutho Sipamla.
Playing XIs:
South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy
