India vs South Africa, 3rd T20I: India Bowl First at Dharamsala Amid Team Changes

India won the toss and chose to field first on a clear evening at Dharamsala, with dew expected to influence the later stages of the match. The Himachal pitch looked good for batting, but India’s new-ball options were tasked with testing the South African top order early.

The hosts made two enforced changes: Axar Patel was ruled out due to illness, while Jasprit Bumrah returned home for personal reasons. Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav were drafted in. South Africa made three changes in their playing XI, including Tristan Stubbs, who replaced David Miller; Corbin Bosch was selected in place of George Linde; and Anrich Nortje replaced Lutho Sipamla. 

Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill opened for India, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the side from three. Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube occupied the middle order, while the bowling was led by Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy, supplemented by Kuldeep and Rana.

India’s selection changes meant testing South Africa’s batting against a reconfigured attack, while the visitors’ multiple adjustments suggested an intent to consolidate before conditions eased later in the evening.

The early overs promised a contest between India’s new-ball pair and South Africa’s openers, with tactical decisions likely to shape the innings. The session was set to reveal how the visitors would navigate the Dharamsala conditions and whether India’s restructured bowling unit could make early inroads before the ball became easier to handle.