India’s Bombastic Win in Cuttack
Cuttack: Hardik Pandya made a dream return as India hammered South Africa by 101 runs, rolling them over for just 74 while defending 176. He starred with a brisk fifty and a wicket, while the bowlers shared the spoils, with Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel picking up two wickets apiece as the Proteas crumbled under sustained pressure. Hardik Pandya’s explosive 59 off 29 balls steered India to 175/6 in their 20 overs, hitting four sixes and as many boundaries while balancing aggression with control. South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi was the standout bowler, claiming three crucial wickets. India’s innings struggled early: Abhishek Sharma fell just after the powerplay, Tilak Varma contributed 26 off 32 balls, and Suryakumar Yadav continued his lean run with 12, leaving India three down and under pressure. Shubman Gill’s early dismissal added to the woes. South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to field, while India left Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing XI.
After a commanding run in the ODI leg, Team India will look to carry that momentum into the T20I series, though they will be without the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in pressure moments. The onus will be on Suryakumar Yadav and his group to deliver in crunch situations against South Africa. The Proteas have impressed throughout the tour in both Tests and ODIs, and now the spotlight shifts to the shortest format, where the two sides last faced off in last year’s World Cup final. With another T20 World Cup fast approaching, both teams will be keen to fine-tune combinations and lock in their core for the big tournament early next year.
Shubman Gill will be firmly in focus as he makes his comeback from a neck injury that kept him out of the Test and ODI legs of the tour. Though he is fit again, the spotlight is on him to justify his place in the T20I setup, where his return has sparked debate. To fit him at the top, the team management has shifted Sanju Samson down the order, while Yashasvi Jaiswal remains on the sidelines despite a strong IPL showing.
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah will also be under the scanner, with India banking on him to return to his lethal best in T20Is ahead of next year’s World Cup. After an underwhelming run by his own lofty standards in the Asia Cup and the Australia series, the pace spearhead will be eager to rediscover his rhythm, nail his death-overs execution and reassert his status as India’s go-to bowler in crunch moments.
Hardik Pandya is set to make his comeback after recovering from a left quadricep injury picked up during the Asia Cup, and he marked his return in style at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Turning out for Baroda, he blazed an unbeaten 77 off just 42 balls in a steep 223-run chase against Punjab and also sent down his full quota of four overs, finishing with figures of 1/52. Hardik’s flexibility, taking the new ball, providing India the cushion to field an extra spinner, and finishing games at a time when Suryakumar is still rediscovering his best, remains central to India’s plans heading into the World Cup.
South Africa have also received a major boost with the return of tearaway quick Anrich Nortje, who is set to make his first international appearance since last year’s T20 World Cup final. After spending months out due to fitness concerns and rehab, the speedster is back in the mix and expected to add serious firepower to their pace attack. They boast a power-packed batting line-up featuring the likes of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs and Aiden Markram, with Marco Jansen now adding extra depth after the kind of form he has shown on this tour. His aggressive 93 in the Guwahati Test and a rapid 70 off 39 balls in Ranchi highlighted his growing confidence with the bat, complementing his already proven impact as a strike bowler.
