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South Africa vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20I, preview and predictions: Proteas hold advantage over injury-hit visitors

Farhaan Behardien-led South Africa will be gunning for a win at Cape Town. The return of their prolific batsman and ODI captain AB de Villiers has only strengthened them.

With 6 wickets in 2 games, Lungi Ngidi has been the find of the series for South Africa thus far © AFP
With 6 wickets in 2 games, Lungi Ngidi has been the find of the series for South Africa thus far © AFP

South Africa and Sri Lanka lock horns once again in the final T20 International (T20I) of the three-match series at Cape Town. The series is evenly poised at 1-1. South Africa won the first match at Centurion by 19 runs in a match that saw the game reduced to 10 overs per side  due to rain. The second game at Johannesburg, however, was a low-scoring game. Sri Lanka, through skipper Angelo Mathews’ unbeaten fifty, ensured  victory by 3 wickets and stayed alive in the series. Mathews was limping during his innings and as a result will not play the final T20I. His injury also coincides with the birth of his child and Sri Lanka Cricket said that Mathews had taken prior permission to fly back home.

Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep and batsman Danushka Gunathilaka have sustained injuries and as a result, they too will fly home. Pradeep injured his hand in the first T20I and Gunathilaka has been complaining of back problems. South Africa have no such problems and have a full squad to pick from. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi’s excellent show in the couple of games has earned him a call-up to South Africa’s One-Day International (ODI) squad. In the first game, he finished with figures of 2 for 12 in 2 overs, at a time when Sri Lanka needed over 12 runs an over to win the match. He almost handed South Africa an improbable win in the second game as well. He finished with 4 for 19 in 4 overs, but could not prevent Sri Lanka from successfully chasing down 114.

FULL CRICKET SCORECARD, SOUTH AFRICA vs SRI LANKA, 3RD T20I

The second T20I was also an excellent game for Lakshan Sandakan. On T20I debut, he became the first Sri Lankan bowler to get a wicket off his very first delivery when he removed wicketkeeper Mangaliso Mosehle. He picked up 3 more wickets after that and returned with 4 for 23. Fast bowler Isuru udana with 3 wickets too was right on the money.

Sri Lanka have not named any replacements for the three injured players. As a result, they are left with only 12 players to pick from. As a result, they will have to play the same XI they played in the second T20I, except we might see Sachith Pathirana come in place of Angelo Mathews. Sri Lanka also have Suranga Lakmal on the bench, but Pathirana’s batting abilities might just give him the nod ahead of Lakmal.

There are some dark clouds expected to be hovering around Cape Town on Wednesday. We might see rain play spoilsport once again in the series. Farhaan Behardien-led South Africa will be gunning for a win nevertheless. The return of their prolific batsman and ODI captain AB de Villiers has only strengthened them. A series win for South Africa gives them belief that their bench strength is strong and can cope without some of the big guns. Sri Lanka on the other hand will want to put their disappointing Test series behind them and claim the T20I series ahead of the ODI series. Without Mathews, they surely have an uphill task, but the others will have to step up – just like they did in the second T20I.

Squad:

South Africa: Farhaan Behardien (c), Theunis de Bruyn, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Heino Kuhn, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle (wk), Lungi Ngidi, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, JJ Smuts, AB de Villiers

Sri Lanka for 3rd T20I: Dinesh Chandimal (c & wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thikshila de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Asela Gunaratne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Kusal Mendis, Sachith Pathirana, Seekkuge Prasanna, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana

Match Timing:

18:00 local | 16:00 GMT | 21:30 IST

FULL CRICKET SCORECARD, SOUTH AFRICA vs SRI LANKA, 3RD T20I

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