South Africa vs India, 3rd T20I 2023: Match preview, playing XI, Head to Head, Where to Watch on TV & Live Streaming Details

South Africa and India will cross swords in the third and final T20I, at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, on Wednesday, December 13. After the first T20I was washed out, the second T20I turned out to be quite crucial. Aiden Makram won the toss and opted to bowl first. The tourists started on a horrifying note as openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill were dismissed before they could trouble the scorers. Tilak Varma was picked in the playing XI ahead of experienced players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan. The southpaw got off to a good start but couldn't capitalize on it.

The top-ranked T20I batter and India captain, Suryakumar Yadav, formed an enterprising 70-run partnership off 48 balls for the fourth wicket. Once the veteran was dismissed for a 36-ball 56, the onus was on Rinku to take India to a big score. The diminutive batter didn't disappoint as he hit an unbeaten 68 off just 39 balls. India lost some quick wickets towards the closing stages. They were placed at 180/7 in 19.3 overs when rain stopped play. Tabraiz Shamsi (1/18) and Gerald Coetzee (3/32) were the standout bowlers for the Proteas.

After the rain break, the hosts were set a revised target of 152 runs in 15 overs. The Indian bowlers struggled to keep the South African top order in check. Reeza Hendricks and Markram stitched a decisive 30-ball 54-run partnership before Tristan Stubbs and Andile Phehlukwayo put the finishing touches. The conditions weren't easy for the Indian bowlers as they faced difficulty in gripping the ball as it was getting wet every time it was being hit along the ground. In the end, South Africa won by five wickets with seven balls to spare (via DLS method). India do not have a chance to win the series now. The best they can do from here is to level the series at 1-1.

Wanderers Stadium Pitch Report

The Wanderers is one of the most batter-friendly venues in the Rainbow Nation. The average first-innings score in T20Is is 173. The West Indies pulled off the highest successful chase at this venue, scoring 236/6 in 19.2 overs against South Africa. 17 games have been won by teams chasing, while 15 have been won by teams batting first. The good news is that as per AccuWeather, there is no chance of rain on match day in Johannesburg.

Probable Playing XI

South Africa

South Africa will have to tap into their fast-bowling resources as Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen, who were picked for only the first two games, are expected to leave the side. Uncapped pacers - Nandre Burger and Ottniel Baartman could replace them. However, the batting line-up will look considerably depleted if the hosts go in this route as Jansen is a very handy batter at No. 7. To fill his void, the home side might bring in the explosive Donovan Ferreira and pick one from Burger and Baartman to replace Coetzee. Markram will have to bowl four overs in this case.

Predicted XI: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram (C), Heinrich Klaasen (WK), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nandre Burger, Ottniel Baartman, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi

India

India made a couple of bold decisions, in the second T20I, in terms of selection. They left out the experienced Shreyas Iyer, who scored a fifty in India's last T20I fixture against Australia earlier this month and picked Tilak. Also, they kept Ravi Bishnoi, who won the Player of the Series against Australia in the recent T20I series, out of the playing XI. It would be interesting to see if they are brought back into the team for the do-or-die clash.

Predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar

SA vs IND T20Is Head-to-Head Records:

SA vs IND 3rd T20I Broadcast details: