India Bounce Back! Arshdeep Redeems Himself as India Take 2–1 Lead | IND vs SA 3rd T20I 2025

India answer the critics in style.

In this episode of In Between Overs, we react to India’s commanding win over South Africa in the 3rd T20I, powered by a ruthless bowling performance and a composed chase.

We dive into Arshdeep Singh’s redemption spell, Harshit Rana’s impressive stand-in performance, and Varun Chakravarthy’s control on a bowler-friendly surface. On the batting side, we discuss Abhishek Sharma’s intent, Shubman Gill’s ongoing struggles against movement, and why Tilak Varma continues to impress in the middle order.

Plus — tough questions around Suryakumar Yadav’s form, South Africa’s misfiring middle order, and what both teams need to fix heading into the next game.

A must-listen for cricket fans tracking momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup.

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Transcript

Taran & Ishaan (00:01.451)
Welcome back to another episode of the In Between Over's podcast where your host will display. I'm Tehran.

Ishaan Sharma (00:05.934)
And I'm Eason.

Taran & Ishaan (00:08.522)
Don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel. 30-20, yeah. India versus South Africa. India storm back. Make it 2-1. Bowling performances from Arshdeep storm back after that first, second game story where he got absolutely trashed. He came back, took two good wickets, economy under four. Arshud Rana played instead of Bumrah today. Bumrah took some personal leave. He bowled really well, two wicket-taking balls.

Ishaan Sharma (00:21.806)
you

Ishaan Sharma (00:32.558)
Thank

Taran & Ishaan (00:36.307)
Especially the one that got I think it was a QDK out really good ball and then India Wrapping it up with the bat quite easily. I wish like Sharma and Trippman Gill just breaking the back of the chase They only ended up needing to chase 118 and they did it quite easily

Ishaan Sharma (00:44.046)
Thank

Ishaan Sharma (00:52.534)
Yeah, look, India needed to answer back and that's exactly what happened. There was a lot of questions raised post the defeat, but no, India came back and it actually was from the bowling. I think there could be some questions on the batting, but the bowling really stepped up today and you kind of saw that from the way Archdeep Singh took those deliveries. is known as, know, India's one of India's best T20 bowlers. And, you know, he's able to get a lot of

first over wickets, is obviously we know is super important in powerplay. Got another one today and when he gets that he's kind of you know on the right foot and then know harsh Shirvana following it up as well and then yeah some other you know wickets as well from Fadia as well and our favorite Shivam Dubey I think he got a first ball wicket that's always nice and handy to get but no no it was a good bowling performance I think from India then the batting I think it was

It should have been an easy chase, just with the way that the bowlers had done.

Taran & Ishaan (01:52.578)
Let's start with the batting performances of both teams. I have a feeling the reason why both teams struggle with the bat is because the ball was moving around for the medium or the fast bowlers. And we saw that more with India than we did with South Africa, mainly because Abhishek Sharma was able to do his thing where he was hitting the good balls to the boundaries and was challenging the lengths and lines of the South Africans. But you saw when he got out and

you saw the South African bowlers able to swing the ball and see the ball still where Schumann-Gill felt it awkward at times. After the partnership, it seemed like he was struggling for timing again. The ball started moving still or kept moving. And then we saw the same with the other batters as well. And same thing happened in South Africa's innings where Harshad Rana and Archie Singh were able to make the ball talk. I believe they bowled.

three and three in the power play in a role. And usually that's the case when they're able to move the ball or the ball is moving more for the fast bowlers. And we saw Sky trust in them. And I felt that was, I felt it was the conditions that made it more challenging for the batters to bat on both sides.

Ishaan Sharma (03:14.19)
Yes, yes and I totally agree with that and to your point the way that our Indian opening bowlers were bowling made it super difficult and to your point you know when especially India's batting came along when the South African bowlers were able to get more accurate and you know fully understand the wicked is when Shuman Gill really slowed down and we saw that from his pace of play it was entirely different when

He was batting with Abhishek Sharma, where he says after Abhishek Sharma got out, that's when the boulders started really hitting their lines and lengths properly, getting that movement. And Shivam, Shivam, Shivam Gill has always been susceptible to the moving ball. That's always been a critique about his ability. That tag of a flat track bully has always been carried with him. So, and again.

performances like this, but yeah, he gave us all the, know, volume of runs in the grand scheme of things. Cause again, the number of runs weren't too much, but this is not a T20 innings really from Shuman Gill, so especially.

Taran & Ishaan (04:24.087)
Who looked really good once again was Tilak Varma who thankfully came in in the position that I believe you should always be walking in, especially in this T20 team at number three. He just knows how to play the situation and we saw that today where he played a very calm and collected innings, made sure that he was there right till the end. it, strike rate's not the best, but that's what it called for. India didn't need to go big. They just needed to...

Ishaan Sharma (04:51.982)
Yes. We don't. OK, what do you know?

Taran & Ishaan (04:52.277)
play proper cricketing shots, see off good balls, and they would be home because the only way South Africa were going to win this game is if they took wickets constantly and that did not happen.

Ishaan Sharma (05:06.798)
Exactly. Question. Why, at least in my eyes, Sky not look comfortable?

Taran & Ishaan (05:16.297)
I think it's getting to a situation where his strength is also turning into his downfall or his weakness. He got out to that flick classic flick shot that he plays the the sky special that everyone knows him for the flick or the half pull on the legs where he kind of shovels the ball behind him. Right. In that in the V behind the wicked.

Ishaan Sharma (05:19.982)
Just take one of them.

Ishaan Sharma (05:36.11)
All right, you guys.

Taran & Ishaan (05:45.78)
And we've seen him get out now quite a few times with that shot where captains and oppositions always have a field set for that. And it doesn't help when he's not able to time the ball properly is when he can get out. So that is what happened today where it seemed like the ball kept a little lower. At least that's what his reaction indicated after he hit the shot.

And so his timing was off and he got out. It was a great catch by Bartman running catch I think it's one of those where he's probably probably has to revisit How often he plays that shot?

Ishaan Sharma (06:17.848)
Thank you.

Ishaan Sharma (06:29.57)
I agree, I agree. He's, you if you look at, for example, the Asia Cup, Asia Cup as well against Pakistan, I believe he got twice to that shot. One, totally one, I think the third man, he was trying to go, you mentioned, all the way behind him. So no, not having that time shot at all. And yeah, he doesn't look good. And you know, again, he was at number three batsman for a while. They really pressured him to be there.

Taran & Ishaan (06:38.657)
Mm-hmm.

Ishaan Sharma (06:54.2)
Then obviously, you know, having to change it forward or now to number four. As you mentioned, very deservedly so as a number three. But again, you know, the number four as well, you know, from a batting position and then the T20 game is super coveted because that player needs to keep momentum going. And unfortunately, at least in Maya, it does not seem like Sky is able to keep that momentum going forward. Hopefully I'm wrong. Hopefully again, it's just a phase. But in Maya, Sky definitely...

to keep it moving forward.

Taran & Ishaan (07:26.753)
He's got two more games to put up a substantial score and here's hoping that he's able to because it's not looking good right now for the Indian skipper.

Taran & Ishaan (07:39.349)
Alright, so let's talk about South Africa's innings. So South Africa, seems like the, looking at the toss here.

Ishaan Sharma (07:42.166)
Bye.

Ishaan Sharma (07:49.356)
in doing the task.

Taran & Ishaan (07:51.16)
You're one the toss elected to bold first and rightfully slow So so with the conditions at hand South Africa did not get off to a good start the power play was essentially dictated by the way Archdeep and harsh at both Shout out to harsh. Erana came in for boomer a boomer out for personal reasons. So hopefully everything's okay with him Harsher on it comes in and his he looked good in those three overs You obviously went for some tap in the last over

that he bowled but that was towards the end of the innings but in that power play he looked really good along with our Chief.

Ishaan Sharma (08:25.39)
Yes, and it's super great when you're able to take a boomerang out and replace him with a harsh Adrana who is able to get wickets because when he's able to get those wickets, be that, you know, be accurate, be aggressive. It kind of fits the whole bowling lineup perfectly well with Arshad's beautiful ability to move the ball and harshest natural just to just hit the deck ability. And so, know, super great to get those early, early wickets and getting, you know, a player like

QDK, someone who was able to get close to a century last match out early, is always great to have.

Taran & Ishaan (09:05.907)
Spinners also chipped in Varun Chakravorty. Kuldevi Adhav didn't bowl that much. I think he bowled his second over. It was the last row of the innings. Sky trusted the medium paces more. Rightfully so. It was that kind of wicked. But Varun Chakravorty looked really good. It was three overs for seven runs and then it was only in his last over where he gave four runs, which still isn't much.

Ishaan Sharma (09:18.988)
ha.

Taran & Ishaan (09:33.387)
But that shows how well he bowled his entire four overs on a wicket that again was suitable more for the faster bowlers.

Ishaan Sharma (09:44.554)
Yes, yes and again it just goes to the point that they were not able to read him and you know he bowled extremely well and again when he's on game, great. Do you want to give a few comments to Kulid Dybyadov as well? I think you know it's great for him to get those two wickets at the end, the 19th over, his second over as well because it was also his birthday so it's great to see him able to get those two wickets on his birthday.

Taran & Ishaan (10:09.973)
that's awesome, I didn't even know that. Happy birthday to Kuldeep. Deserve those two wickets there and it seems like he is right now the second choice spinner for India in T20 eyes. I feel Larrun Chakravarty, you can't drop him. think he, if you're playing one spinner, you're keeping Larrun and you're unfortunately leaving on Kuldeep.

Ishaan Sharma (10:12.007)
I'm

Ishaan Sharma (10:32.654)
T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka this year. Are you still putting bar on over Kuldeep?

Taran & Ishaan (10:42.443)
Depends on the combination because you're going to have Akshar Patel playing. Akshar didn't play today. I think he had some sort of sickness or illness and he couldn't play. And so they brought in Kuldeep who's not an all-rounder. So Akshar I feel will always play because of his all-rounder talent that he gives India with the bat and the ball. Whereas Kuldeep is just a bowler out and out. And so

Ishaan Sharma (10:59.076)
yeah.

Taran & Ishaan (11:09.621)
between Varun and Kuldeep. I think it's always going to be Varun and then Kuldeep is going to be second choice. And I think it's on pitches where India feel that they need three spinners where Kuldeep comes into the play, comes into play because because I feel that their combination right now was that yeah, a nice slow Chennai wicket maybe even at the Eden Gardens, right with those slow low wickets.

Ishaan Sharma (11:22.382)
Fair, fair, fair.

Ishaan Sharma (11:27.234)
A nice little Chennai wicket. A nice little Chennai wicket.

Taran & Ishaan (11:38.165)
You could see India play three spinners and maybe one fast bowler and Hardik Kandia and Shivam Dubey playing as medium pace all-rounders.

Ishaan Sharma (11:49.454)
Oh yes, that's dangerous. I see exactly what you mean there. So no, great to see the spinners at least come into action this game as well, especially with a lot of the fast bowlers dominating the action.

Taran & Ishaan (12:04.111)
Nothing to speak of for South Africa. We had Markrum holding the ship with a 61 from 46 balls. Looked good. He played really well and you felt for him because he didn't have anybody else on the other end. Kudos to India's bowling. They were super tight and they didn't allow the other batters, any of them to stick in. Donovan Ferreira looked threatening but once again Varun

cleaned him up and then he cleaned Marco Janssen up as well. They had no clue which way the ball was going to turn.

Ishaan Sharma (12:37.706)
Yeah, no, and I do, you know, I do agree with all of that. One player that I didn't want to mention very quickly from a South African banning perspective is Brevis. Brevis, I think, has had a not so great series with the expectations he had coming in. You he's been a coveted player in the IPL, made some big franchise moves from Mumbai to Chennai, has a lot to prove as well, just because with the promise that he came with him.

This tour to India has been a little shy of what he was expected to do, but it'd be really interesting to see if he gets the opportunity in the next two games to see how he responds.

Taran & Ishaan (13:19.127)
Yeah, he definitely needs to kick on. He's only he's only gotten starts. He hasn't gotten a big score in the wonders. He's got that 150, but that's about it. He he's only been getting starts this entire white ball series and he hasn't been able to convert any of those into substantial into a substantial score. And I think he's due a substantial score and he needs to because yeah, there's a there's a lot relying on him in that middle order, especially in this T20 I squad for South Africa.

Ishaan Sharma (13:50.222)
Yeah, yeah. you know, think from a, again, banning perspective as well, India's boulders did really, really well to really keep the pressure on South Africa. you know, because they were going for the shots, they had to go for the shots and, you know, they were just not hitting them. And India was able to capitalize.

Taran & Ishaan (14:09.099)
Ford T20i coming up, who you got?

Ishaan Sharma (14:12.814)
I think I think I do want to say India now. Just probably gonna steamroll. I think I'll be shakes in form I think Shubham Gill, you he got back to bowl this game against the case came as well I think now India is gonna steamroll South Africa going forward What about you?

Taran & Ishaan (14:26.903)
Alright, yeah, I feel it. feel a lot depends on the pitch and who bats first, but the momentum is in India. But you never know in T20 eyes in South Africa did have three changes to their lineup, which which seemed to have messed with their combination. So maybe they make some to make some changes. I think it was forced changes, if I'm not mistaken. But they may go back to that combination that works so well in that second T20 eye. And hopefully they're able to

Ishaan Sharma (14:31.01)
Bye bye.

Taran & Ishaan (14:56.211)
Remember what worked well in that game and replicate that and make this a competitive series. Otherwise, yeah, we could see India wrapping it up in Lucknow

Ishaan Sharma (15:04.812)
know how it'll be a great series again and one of the big coveted series before the D20 World Cup. Can't wait to see what happens. Do you see any changes from India's side?

Taran & Ishaan (15:14.595)
I don't see any changes unless Bumrah is done with his personal leave. He comes back in for Harshad. Harshad goes right back out even though he did well. And then maybe if Akshar is still ill, they may decide to maybe play another all-rounder. think Washi is in the squad if I'm not mistaken. If they need some more batting depth or else they just keep Kuldeep in.

Ishaan Sharma (15:20.878)
the

Ishaan Sharma (15:40.97)
Yeah, no, I agree. I don't think too many changes from an ESI, but it'd nice to see how they perform in the fourth T20.

Taran & Ishaan (15:48.331)
Yeah, looking forward to it. Until then, that's stumps.

Ishaan Sharma (15:51.756)
Okay.