Suryakumar's sparkling hundred carries India to 201 for 7 in third T20I against South Africa

Captain Suryakumar Yadav exploited a bone-dry surface to make a twinkling hundred as India made a competitive 201 for seven against South Africa in the third and final T20I

Captain Suryakumar Yadav exploited a bone-dry surface to make a twinkling hundred as India made a competitive 201 for seven against South Africa in the third and final T20I here on December 14.

Trailing 0-1 in the series, India perforce needed a win here, and they showed all that necessary intensity after South Africa asked them to bat first.

Suryakumar (100 off 56 balls), who made his fourth T20I century, and young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (60 off 41 balls) trusted the bounce on the Wanderers pitch to produce some sparkling shots around the ground, while adding 112 runs for an entertaining third-wicket alliance.

India were quick off the block with Shubman Gill (8) and Jaiswal adding 29 runs in just 2.2 overs. But South Africa hit back through left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.

Maharaj took two wickets in as many balls to get rid of Gill and Tilak Varma as India’s momentum was curtailed momentarily.

Jaiswal and Suryakumar took India to 62 for 2 in the Power Play passage, and it followed another period of lull as they added just 25 runs in the next four overs as the visitors reached 87 for two at the half-way mark.

But they broke the barn door soon and runs began to flow in a rush.