India vs South Africa 3rd T20I: Tilak Varma Century Guides India To 11-Run Win Over South Africa

Tilak Varma's spectacular maiden century stayed above Marco Jansen's stunning late assault as India notched a thrilling 11-run win over South Africa in the third T20I against on Wednesday. India now lead the four-match series 2-1. Tilak's brilliant effort (107, 56b, 8x4, 7x6) carried India to 219 for six but Jansen (54, 17b, 4x4, 5x6) made runs at a strike-rate of 317 to nearly trump the Indian batter's knock. South Africa ended up at 208 for seven. But the contest looked set for a lop-sided finish once the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen (41) fell with 53 runs needed off the last 14 balls in the chase of 220.

But Jansen's first T20I fifty brought South Africa to the brink of turning the tables on India.

However, Arshdeep Singh (3/37) trapped Jansen leg-before with three balls left in the game to seal the fate in favour of India.

Jansen's late charge and Klaasen's 22-ball blitz were the only bright spots in South Africa's reply after Verma's sensational unbeaten 107 powered India after being invited to bat.

At the start of chase, Ryan Rickelton (20) failed to make it big once again even as luck favoured him — the new ball missed both his edges and stumps while Axar Patel spilled a regulation catch while running behind from mid-off.

The left-handed batter soon chopped one on to his wickets and soon after Reeza Hendricks (21) was stumped off Varun Chakravarthy.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram (29) only had himself to blame when he pulled a short one on wide outside off-stump to midwicket off Chakravarthy.

Tristan Stubbs (12) also fell to spin — pinned in front by Axar — as the Indian tweakers dominated a passage of play before Klaasen cut loose to collect 23 runs to spoil Chakravarthy's figures.

Klaasen served a reminder of