Ottneil Baartman was superb with figures of four for 24 and led the South African attack with control and calm.
India remain the top ranked T20I side in the world while South Africa sit in fifth. Concerns continue to grow around the form of India captain Suryakumar Yadav who has now gone 23 innings without reaching fifty. He is still ninth in the rankings but his slide has been steady.
Tilak Varma on the other hand has been excellent. His overall T20I average sits at 47.13 but his average against South Africa shoots up to 66.16 from eight innings. Then there is Abhishek Sharma who holds the highest all time strike rate in T20I cricket at 188.80. His average against South Africa is only 21.83 which is his lowest against any team and he has made 17 in both games so far.
For South Africa Quinton de Kock delivered a Man of the Match performance in the second game scoring 90 which is his highest score in the format since returning from retirement.
Venue: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium Dharamsala
Dharmasala is often described as one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world with the Himalayas towering in the background. South Africa have played here only once and won that match by seven wickets in 2015. That victory remains the only defeat India have suffered at this venue. The stadium has hosted 10 T20Is with two washed out. Teams usually choose to bowl first and the average first innings score is a modest 137. The highest total is South Africa’s successful chase of 200 for three in 2015.
Weather
Sunday is set to be cloudy with a high of 12 degrees and a low of 7. Rain is unlikely with a 10 percent chance of precipitation. Expect cold overcast conditions throughout the day.
Form
India: L W NR W W
South Africa: W L L L W
Key players
India, Tilak Varma: Two of India’s big three have struggled so Varma has carried the batting with scores of 26 and 62. He averages 66.16 against South Africa and looks comfortable against their attack though Lungi Ngidi has dismissed him twice.
South Africa, Quinton de Kock: He is inconsistent in T20Is but devastating once set. His average against India is an impressive 44.10 and he looks full of confidence after his 90 in the previous match.
Verdict: South Africa
This is shaping up to be a tight series but the Proteas look like they are settling into a good white ball rhythm. With Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi in fine touch and De Kock back among the runs South Africa should have a slight edge. If one of their top order anchors the innings again they are well placed to take a 2-1 lead.