Arshdeep bounces back yet again, with Harshit for company

Arshdeep Singh demonstrated his resilience once more in the third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala, with Harshit Rana also making a notable contribution. Singh's ability to recover from setbacks has been a hallmark of his career. In 2022, he faced online abuse after dropping a catch against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Despite that, he bowled a crucial final over in the same match, showcasing his mental strength, even though India lost.

Another instance of his comeback ability came a month later during the T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, where he dismissed Babar Azam with his first ball and Mohammad Rizwan soon after, finishing with figures of 3 for 32.

Most recently, after a difficult outing in New Chandigarh where he conceded 54 runs in four overs without taking a wicket, including bowling seven wides in a single over, Arshdeep bounced back to be named Player of the Match in Dharamsala, taking 2 for 13 in four overs and not bowling any wides.

The conditions in Dharamsala, situated at an altitude of 1.5km, offered both the advantage of the ball traveling further and assistance to seam bowlers due to the cold and moisture. On this occasion, the latter proved more significant. Arshdeep acknowledged the familiarity of the ground, where his IPL team, Punjab Kings, plays some of its home matches, but downplayed any specific advantage.

Despite dew setting in early and the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, which placed extra responsibility on him to lead the seam attack, Arshdeep delivered. He dismissed Reeza Hendricks with a delivery that swung in, trapping him lbw. This marked Arshdeep's 48th wicket in the first six overs of T20Is, surpassing Bhuvneshwar Kumar's Indian record. It was also the 20th time he has dismissed a batter for a duck in T20Is, again surpassing Bhuvneshwar.

When asked about any changes he made since the previous game, Arshdeep said he focused on pitching the ball in the right areas and utilizing the assistance from the wicket, attributing his previous performance to being a one-off bad day.

Making his debut in the series, Harshit Rana shared the new ball duties and also impressed. He dismissed Quinton de Kock, who has been in excellent form, trapping him lbw with a ball that angled in. Earlier, Rana had also dismissed de Kock in the first ODI in Ranchi.

Rana varied his tactics, using a short delivery to trouble Dewald Brevis. Brevis eventually fell to Rana, edging a full and wide delivery.

While Arshdeep primarily bowled on a good length, Rana experimented more. Markram targeted Rana in his final over, hitting him for two sixes and a four, which impacted his final figures of 2 for 34.

Arshdeep concluded his spell strongly, and although he didn't perfectly execute his wide yorkers, he remained difficult to score against. Markram was eventually caught behind off Arshdeep. Arshdeep's performance confirmed his quality, and Rana's contribution in Bumrah's absence was a positive sign for India ahead of the T20 World Cup.