🏏South Africa tour of India 2025: India vs SA - 5th T20I, Ahmedabad🏏 - Page 3

18:00 Local Time, 12:30 GMT: After a disappointing outing in Lucknow where not a single ball was bowled due to dense fog, the action now shifts to Ahmedabad for the final match of South Africa’s tour of India. The T20I series remains alive, with India leading 2-1 and the visitors still in with a chance to level things and end what has otherwise been an impressive tour on a high. The three completed T20Is so far have been largely one-sided and hopefully the decider delivers a closely fought contest. But beyond just the result, this game carries greater significance as both sides continue to fine-tune their skills, balance, and combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup in February.

Suryakumar Yadav: We were looking to bat first. The wicket looks good, there won't be dew and we want to put the runs on the board. It almost feels full.

Aiden Markram: We are going to bowl first. The wicket looks quite dew, probably some dew later on and ball comes on better. There's everything to play for, focus is on the World Cup and we have quite a few games here. Quite a few good signs with the ball in hand, looking to finish the tour on a positive note. Linde comes in for Nortje.

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to field

Sanju replaces Gill

Arshdeep Singh: The focus isn’t really on the scoreline or the series result. The message is simple: go out there, express yourself, enjoy your cricket, and make sure the crowd enjoys what we’re doing as well. At this level, you’re always going to have good days and bad days, but what really matters is maintaining a stable mindset. If you stay balanced mentally, don’t get too carried away when things are going well and don’t sink too low when they aren’t, you stay in control. As long as you hold that steady line, you’re fine, because fluctuations in form are inevitable at this level.

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Sanju go man🧿

Finally a chance for Samson in this series. He gets only one game - can he make the most of it? The players are making their way out to the middle. Interestingly the captains got what they wanted - SKY wanted to bat and didn't expect any dew later on while Markram felt there will be dew and the ball would come on better. Who has read the conditions correctly?

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Marco Jansen to Abhishek Sharma, no run, now shortens the length as Abhishek advances and has a tenative poke, the ball does enough to beat the outside edge

Marco Jansen to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR, now a genuine outside edge and it flies over short third. Once again the fullish length around off, Abhishek stays leg-side and looks to go over the cover region, the outside edge clears a leaping fielder and races away..

Marco Jansen to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR .. and again. They need to have a deep backward point for Abhishek. Right now, the fielder is at sweeper cover. He charges down and gives it the kitchen sink, gets a thick outside edge and the ball flies towards deep backward point

Marco Jansen to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR, full and swinging away, Abhishek has the width and he throws his hands on the big shot, sliced it over backward point and the ball almost travelled the distance

Sanju smashing it

Now I'm scared for jitesh

Gill ko toh baithayega nhi GG