India Vs South Africa: Here's the Probable India XI for 3rd T20I in Cape Town

Cape Town, Feb 23: Team India will be locking horns for one last time with South Africa on this tour on Saturday (February 24) in Cape Town and would be aiming to end it on a high by winning the third and final Twenty20 international thereby clinching the series 2-1.

Series results Series results

South Africa, on the other hand, would also be eying a win and taking a morale-boosting series win after being outclassed by the visitors in the ODI series.

Therefore, both the teams would be coming out with the sole objective of winning the deciding game and clinch the series.

Team India, who were a dominant side ever since registering a historic win in the 3rd Test in Johannesburg, clinched the ODI series 5-1 and won the first match of the T20I series by a margin of 28 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the shortest format. However, the hosts put up a wonderful fight in the second T20I and defeated the visitors by 6 wickets in the next game and levelled the series.

Winner of the third T20I will not only clinch the series but would also wrap up the entire tour with a 2-1 win. South Africa won the Test series 2-1, while India came back strongly to claim the ODI series 5-1.

In the second T20I, played in Centurion, India were invited to bat first and went on to post 188/4 in the set 20 overs on a pitch where constant drizzle was always going to assist the team chasing. With the ball not gripping in the hands, wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal conceded 64 runs from his quota of 4 overs as South African batsmen plundered him.

Bowling with a wet ball is always going to be challenging for a wrist spinner and flamboyant batting from Heinrich Klaasen only added insult to the injury.

The visitors would now be hoping to make amends in their bowling department which seemed inexperienced in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, their most lethal weapon in the limited-overs format.

India certainly missed Bumrah's services in the previous game and skipper Virat Kohli would be hoping Gujarat gets fit for the final encounter. He and Bhuvneshwar Kumar make a destructive pace attack and their ability to bowl miserly in the death makes them almost irreplaceable.

Men In Blue's batting looked settled in previous two games and skipper would be hoping a similar show in the final game as well.

So, here is how India's Playing XI might look like in the third T20I:

1. Rohit Sharma

The right-handed batsman was dismissed for a golden duck in the second T20I by young Junior Dala. The Mumbaikar has had a mixed ODI series after a disappointing Test series against the Proteas. Rohit started the first T20I with a bang but failed in the second encounter.

In the first T20I, Rohit started proceedings aggressively and in his 9-ball cameo, the right-handed batsman scored 21. Team would be hoping an electrifying start from their vice-captain in the third and deciding game.

2. Shikhar Dhawan

The left-handed batsman was the highest run scorer in the first T20I and started things aggressivley in the second game but didn't last long in Centurion.

Dhawan scored 24 off 14 balls against South Africa before he was dismissed by JP Duminy.

In the first T20I his explosive knock of 72 runs which came off just 39 deliveries took India past 200-run mark. Dhawan was in an ominous form in the ODIs and has continued with similar intensity in the T20Is as well.

Along with skipper Kohli, Dhawan has been exploding against the Proteas and always gave the visitors a solid start. The team must be eying another good show from Dhawan in the third T20I as well.

3. Suresh Raina

The veteran batsman has made some vital contributions with the bat in both the games in his comeback games. One of the most successful batsmen for India in the T20s, Raina scored 15 off 7 in the first game while 31 from 24 deliveries in the second encounter.

The southpaw has looked in good touch in both the games and team would hope similar performance from the UP swashbuckler.

4. Virat Kohli

The skipper and team's batting mainstay has been in ominous form on this tour. Kohli showed his class all through the ODI series and slammed unprecedented three centuries and aggregated 558 runs in the series. Kohli looked in good touch in the first T20I but was dismissed for 26.

However, in the second T20I the right-handed batsman was dismissed for 1 by young Junior Dala. It was the first ocassion in the limited-overs' series when Kohli walked back in just 1. Team and his fans must be hoping Kohli slams at least a half-century in the third T20I.

5. Manish Pandey

The right-handed batsman from Karnataka made the most of the opportunity in the T20I series. Pandey smashed 79 off 48 deliveries and took visitors to 188/4 in the second T20I.

Pandey batted exceptionally well as he notched up his best T20I figures and his second fifty of the shortest format of the game.

If was criticised for his slow batting in the previous game, Pandey made most of the opportunity in this game as he scored at a strike rate of 169. He struck 8 fours and three sixes in his stay at the crease.

He would, therefore, be hoping to put up a similar performance in the final T20I as well.

6. MS Dhoni

The veteran India wicketkeeper-batsman looked in sublime touch in the first T20I and carried his good show with the bat in the second game.

Dhoni was at his best in Centurion and notched up his second T20I half-century.

He constructed his innings in his trademark way i.e. rotate strike initially and explode in the final overs. By the end of the innings, the 36-year-old had hit four boundaries and three brilliant sixes.

Together with Pandey, Dhoni put up an unbeaten 98-run stand for the fourth wicket.

The veteran glovesman will once again be playing in the third and deciding T20I for India.

7. Hardik Pandya

The all-rounder will once again be asked to perform his duties as a batting all-rounder in the in Cape Town. It was the same venue where Pandya played a memorable 93-run knock in the first Test and recovered India.

93 happens to be his highest score on this tour and must be hoping to end the tour on high with an all-round effort in the final T20I.

Pandya bowled well in the first game as well and scored 13 off 7 deliveries but didn't get a chance to bat in the last game. He bowled decently in the last game but couldn't get any wickets. He must be eager to prove his mettle in the final game.

8. Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav

The wrist spinner has been very expensive in both the T20Is but in the second T20I he claimed an unwanted record as he leaked 64 runs from his quota of 4 overs. It was his poor outing in the middle with the wet ball which proved to be a big reason for India's defeat.

Chahal had a forgettable evening as he claimed the unwanted figures by becoming the costliest India player in a T20I game. Prior to this Joginder sharma (57 off 4 overs) was the previous worst by an Indian bowler in T20I. But skipper Kohli might just give him another opportunity so that he gets his confidence back.

Kohli might also field chinaman Kuldeep Yadav in the final T20I in place of Chahal as the latter has been at the receiving end.

9. Jaydev Unadkat/Shardul Thakur

Pacers Jaydev Unadkat or Shardul Thakur will play in the third T20I against South Africa as the third pacer. Both Unadkat and Thakur - who made his T20I debut in the previous game - conceded runs and would be eager to make a comeback in the final game and present their contention.

10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The strike pacer was the match-winner for India in the first T20I as he returned with career-best figures of 5/24 from his quota of 4 overs. Bhuvneshwar was very lethal in the first T20I and rattled the Protea batting line-up with his knuckle-balls.

In the second T20I, he was again the most economical bowler but couldn't complete his full quota of 4 overs as the match got finished in the 18th over.

Kohli must be hoping another clinical performance from the Meerut boy in Cape Town if they fancy their chances of winning.

11. Jasprit Bumrah

The young pacer missed out in the second T20I due to a niggle in his stomach and India missed his services badly in Centurion. Team would be hoping Bumrah gets fit and plays the final T20I for his presence in the side will make the difference.