Tilak Varma hit his maiden international century as India beat South Africa by 11 runs in the third Twenty20 international at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old left-hander made an unbeaten 107 off 56 balls in an Indian total of 219-6.
South Africa were restricted to 208-7, giving India an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
“I was waiting for this for a long time, I came back after the injury,” Varma told host broadcaster SuperSport, referring to a hand injury that has curtailed his playing time in 2024.
Varma summed up the courageous cricket adopted by captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Promoted to third in the batting order, he faced the third ball of the match after Sanju Samson was bowled for a second successive duck by Marko Janssen.
He immediately went on the attack, hitting the second and third balls he faced from Janssen for four and a six as he began an innings that included eight fours and seven sixes.
“I was just thinking I had a chance to bat at third and I just wanted to express myself,” he said.
“We played the kind of cricket we wanted to play,” said Suryakumar, who revealed that Varma had asked for a promotion to the batting order. “He asked for it and he responded,” the captain said.
Fellow left-hander Abhishek Sharma was similarly aggressive, hitting 50 off 25 balls with three fours and five sixes in a second-wicket stand of 107 off 52 deliveries with Varma.
South Africa were never at the required run rate, but powerful knocks by Heinrich Klaassen (41) and Janssen (54) enabled the hosts to score 105 runs from the last seven overs.
Klaassen hit three successive balls off leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy, India’s most successful bowler, in the first two matches.
Jansen crushed a 16-ball half-century before dropping leg before wicket to left-arm opening bowler Arshdeep Singh off the third ball of the final over.
Under pressure from Abhishek and Varma, South Africa bowled three no-balls and 10 wide balls, which ultimately proved the difference between the two teams, as India only bowled one cross.