3rd T20I: Tilak Varma smashes unbeaten 107 as India reach 219/6 against South Africa

Centurion (South Africa), Nov 13 (IANS) Tilak Varma made his promotion to number three count by hitting a terrific unbeaten 107 off 56 balls – his maiden century in T20Is - as India posted a massive 219/6 against South Africa in the third game at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Coming out to bat in the opening over on a two-paced wicket, Varma took on the attack from the word go and upped the ante on meeting a favourable match-up as he smashed eight fours and seven sixes in his 107 not out – making him the second youngest Indian batter and 12th overall from the country to score a hundred in men's T20Is.

In all 71 of Varma’s runs came from the leg-side boundary, as the left-handed batter dazzled with some eye-catching stroke-play while pacing his innings very well. He was ably supported by Abhishek Sharma, who broke his lean run with a 25-ball fifty, as the duo had a 107-run stand for the second wicket, where targeting short square boundaries in Power-play stood out.

For South Africa, Andile Simelane and Keshav Maharaj picked two wickets each. Pushed into batting first, India didn’t have a great start as Sanju Samson bagged back-to-back ducks after being castled by a slightly nipping-away delivery from Jansen. But from there, Abhishek and Tilak seized the initiative wonderfully to push South Africa on the back foot.

Varma began by slicing Jansen for four and six before Abhishek Sharma took his time to smash Gerard Coetzee for two fours and six in a 15-run second over. While Varma pulled and produced a straight drive to get two fours off Lutho Sipamla, Sharma pulled and dispatched Simelane for a brace of sixes as India ended the Power-play at 70/1.

The boundaries continued to flow for India after the Power-play, as Sharma danced down the pitch to hit Aiden Markram for four, while Varma nailed a reverse sweep off him for six and followed it up with a hook off Coetzee going for another maximum on a no-ball. Sharma danced down the pitch to dispatch Maharaj over long-on for six, before getting his fifty with a single. But the left-arm spinner bounced back by having Sharma stumped. This setback was followed by Suryakumar Yadav giving a catch to sweeper cover off Simelane.

Hardik Pandya hit three elegant boundaries before being trapped lbw by a straight delivery from Maharaj. Verma, who had reached his fifty by then off 32 balls, used his reach to slam Maharaj over extra cover for four, before sweeping him for four and six respectively.

He welcomed Coetzee with a clean lofted six over long-on on an overpitched delivery and followed it up with a wristy whip to hit another maximum over deep square leg, before lapping him for a four.

After a struggling Rinku Singh was castled by Simelane, Ramandeep Singh blazed on debut by hitting a six over long-on on his first ball in international cricket, before bringing out a wristy drive past mid-off for four more.

Varma reached his hundred in 51 balls by chipping a straight drive past mid-off for four off Sipamla, before scooping him over fine leg for six on a free-hit delivery. Though Ramandeep was run out in the final over, Varma ensured India got a massive total on board via a whirlwind knock.

Brief scores:

India 219/6 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 107 not out, Abhishek Sharma 50; Andile Simelane 2-34, Keshav Maharaj 2-36) against South Africa

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