"By The Time He Was Done...": Former India Pacer On Yuzvendra Chahal's Performance In 3rd T20I vs South Africa

After two disappointing outings in the first two T20 Internationals (T20Is) against South Africa, Yuzvendra Chahal was back to his very best as India thumped South Africa by 48 runs in the third match to keep the series alive. The wily leg-spinner had the South Africa middle order all at sea and returned with figures of 3/20. His list of victims was rather high-profile as well. He got Dwaine Pretorius, who has been used well as pinch-hitter this series, Rassie van der Dussen, who played a key role in South Africa winning the first T20I and then Heinrich Klaasen, who was the Proteas' match-winner in the second T20I.

Former India pacer and current Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra was all praise for Chahal and claimed that he was back to his usual aggressive self, after having been slightly on the defensive side in the second T20I.

"The Chahal we know, the aggressive Chahal, we got to see him today. The way he varies his pace, the way he varies his lengths, he showed that today," Nehra said on Cricbuzz on Tuesday after the match.

"In the last match, Klaasen batted very well, but somewhere Chahal may have been thinking that 'maybe I was too defensive, maybe I should have pitched it up more.' Because that is how he bowls," he said.

Nehra said that Chahal all but ended South Africa's chances in their chase of 180.

"Chahal had completely trapped the batters in flight. And he got the wickets of Nos 3, 4 and 5. So by the time Chahal's overs were done, South Africa were completely out of the match," he said.

Half-centuries from openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan helped India post 179/5.

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South Africa were bowled out for 131 in return, with Harshal Patel taking four in addition to Chahal's magnificent spell.

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