0:51
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had Christiaan Jonker caught at extra cover to win the series for India
India sealed the T20 series against South Africa with a victory in the decider that was almost snatched away from them by a feisty South African lower-order effort.
South Africa were asked to pull off the second-highest successful chase at Newlands and then fell so far behind the required run-rate that they needed 59 runs off 21 balls. Then, debutant Christiaan Jonker and old-hand Farhaan Behardien plundered 51 runs in the last three-and-a-half overs but could not get the hosts over the line.
South Africa were 114 for 5 in the 17th when Behardien joined Jonker. If Jonker was nervous, he didn’t show it. He took 18 runs off Shardul Thakur’s final over to reconstruct his figures of 3-0-17-1 into 4-0-35-1 and leave South Africa with 35 to win off the final two overs.
Together, Behardien and Jonker scored 16 runs off Jasprit Bumrah and needed 19 off the last over and 12 off the last three balls but the mistakes their team-mates had made earlier were too big to rectify.
More to follow
3:29
Rohit Sharma leads India in Virat Kohli’s absence as South Africa opt to bowl
Toss South Africa chose to bowl v India
JP Duminy opted to chase in the final match of the series against India – a game South Africa must win if they are to claim a second trophy. India are also after doubling their silverware – they won the ODIs 5-1 and the opening T20, but go into the last match without their captain, Virat Kohli, who has a stiff lower back. Rohit Sharma will captain in his absence.
India made two other changes with Axar Patel brought for Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah for Jaydev Unadkat. Dinesh Kartik was included as an extra batsman in Kohli’s place.
South Africa also made three changes, including to their top two. David Miller was promoted to open the batting in JJ Smuts’ place, which made room for Christiaan Jonker to debut in the middle order. The hosts opted for two spinners in Aaron Phangiso, who gets his first game of the series, and Tabraiz Shamsi. Junior Dala, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo make up a three-pronged pace pack.
South Africa: 1 David Miller, 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 JP Duminy (capt), 4 Heinrich Klaasen (wk) 5 Farhaan Berhadien, 6 Christiaan Jonker, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Aaron Phangiso, 10 Junior Dala, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi
India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Jasprit Bumrah
Source: ESPN Crickinfo