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Arshdeep Singh led an inspired bowling attack to help India beat South Africa by seven wickets in the third T20 international Sunday as the hosts took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.Left-arm quick Arshdeep returned figures of 2-13 as India bowled out South Africa for 117 after the hosts elected to field first in the Himalayan hill town of Dharamsala.Fast bowler Harshit Rana, spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav also took two wickets each.In reply, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma hit 35 off 18 balls as India achieved the target with 25 balls to spare to bounce back from their previous defeat in the series.“Sport teaches you a lot of things, how you come back is more important,” said India skipper Suryakumar Yadav.“There was a lot of learning after last game in the meeting and then did what we did in Cuttack (opening match) today.”It was the home side’s bowlers who set up victory after Arshdeep and fellow quick Rana struck in the first two overs to send back Reeza Hendricks, for a duck, and previous-match hero Quinton de Kock, for one.Skipper Aiden Markram made a valiant 61 off 46 balls to stem the tide but the visitors continued to lose regular wickets.Rana bowled Dewald Brevis for two, before pace bowler Hardik Pandya dismissed Tristan Stubbs for nine for his 100th T20 wicket.Chakravarthy rattled the middle order with his mystery spin as he cut short Donovan Ferreira’s knock on 20 and then had Marco Jansen bowled for two in his next over.Arshdeep, who was named player of the match, had Markram out and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep took two in the 20th over to wrap up the innings on the final ball.“They got the ball in the right areas and before you know it we were four-five down,” said Markram.“They didn’t give us much to score off. I tried to take it deep. Whole time I thought if I got us to 140-150 it could have been a closer game.”India started the chase briskly thanks to Sharma’s attacking knock laced with three fours and three sixes, as well his 60-run stand with fellow opener Shubman Gill (28).Sharma fell to Corbin Bosch and Jansen took down Gill.Suryakumar’s struggles with the bat continued as he fell for 12 off Lungi Ngidi, before Tilak Varma (26) and Shivam Dube (10) steered the team home.T20 specialist Suryakumar has managed just 239 runs across his last 21 innings in this format with no fifties.The fourth match is on Wednesday in the north Indian city of Lucknow. BRIEF SCORES: India 120 for 3 (Abhishek 35, Gill 28, Bosch 1-18) beat Sourh Africa 117 (Markram 61, Varun 2-11, Kuldeep 2-12, Arshdeep 2-13) by seven wickets. 

Hardik Pandya struck an unbeaten 59 and took a key wicket as India thrashed South Africa by 101 runs in the first T20 international Tuesday. Pandya’s 28-ball blitz, laced with six fours and four sixes, powered reigning world champions India to 175-6 after they were put in to bat first in Cuttack. The Indian bowlers then combined to skittle South Africa for their lowest T20 total of 74 in 12.3 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series as part of their build-up for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February-March. India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill returned from injury for the match but had a disappointing outing. He started with a boundary off Lungi Ngidi but got out next ball when he spooned a catch to mid-off. Wickets kept tumbling as T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav fell for 12 and swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma soon followed him for 17 as India slipped to 78-4. But all-rounder Pandya made an instant impact at the crease on his international return after suffering a quadriceps injury in September. “I was very satisfied with the way I was batting,” Pandya said after being named player of the match. Pandya looked back at his recovery in the last 50 days at the National Cricket Academy, saying: “It’s very satisfying when you come here and the results follow.” The 32-year-old came out firing as he hit Keshav Maharaj for two sixes and kept up the attack despite losing Axar Patel, who made 23 off 21 balls, and Shivam Dube (11). Pandya powered India to a position of strength as, alongside Jitesh Sharma, he helped India score 30 runs off the last two overs. In reply, South Africa were hit hard when Arshdeep Singh sent back Quinton de Kock for a second-ball duck in the first over of the chase and in his next dismissed Tristan Stubbs for 14.Skipper Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis, who made 22, attempted to hit back with boundaries before Axar cut short the captain’s knock on 14. Pandya had David Miller out for one with his first ball, and when spinner Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Donovan Ferreira, South Africa slumped to 50-5. South Africa kept losing wickets and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Brevis for his 100th T20 wicket and took one more in the over. “There was some good form with the ball and field; some boxes ticked,” said Markram. “From a batting point of view, it’s unfortunately something that can happen in this format. “It’s a pity that it had to happen in the first game. It’s a quick turnaround and we’ll give it another crack in a couple of days’ time.”The second match is Thursday in New Chandigarh. BRIEF SCORES: India 175 for 6 (Hardik 59*, Ngidi 3-31) beat South Africa 74 all out (Brevis 22, Bumrah 2-17, Chakravarthy 2-19, Axar 2-7) by 101 runs. 

Afghanistan defeated Pakistan by 18 runs in a T20 international, thanks to half-centuries from Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran. Atal scored 64 and Zadran added 65, guiding Afghanistan to a total of 169 for five. Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf was the top bowler, taking four wickets for 27 runs. In their chase, Pakistan were held to 151 for nine. Despite a late surge from Haris Rauf, who hit 34 not out, steady bowling from Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad both taking two wickets ensured Afghanistan’s victory. Pakistan, who won both their matches in the tri-series, have now lost one match. Rashid Khan, Afghanistan captain, said Tuesday: “If you bowl in the right areas and with the bowling we have, it (169) was manageable and defendable.” When asked if it was a tactic playing different spinners each game, Khan said: “That is a kind of tactic. We have that bench strength. It is not just about the playing eleven. Whoever gets the opportunity can do the job. We decide based on the opposition and who might be useful on that wicket. We thought Noor and Ghazanfar would be more effective. “Quite pleased with the way they bowled and the lengths they bowled. Atal and Zadran are two great players, just the beginning for them. The way they are taking responsibility and reading conditions, they are doing it so well. They understand if we can keep wickets, we can score maximum runs.” Salman Agha, Pakistan captain, said: “I think 170 was gettable. Thought the bowlers did a good job. We lost too many wickets in the middle overs. After eight overs, we were going well but we lost many wickets (in the next 5-6 overs). When you lose that many wickets, it becomes very difficult.” BRIEF SCORES Afghanistan 169 for 5 (Zadran 65, Atal 64, Ashraf 4-27) beat Pakistan 151 for 9 (Rauf 34*, Nabi 2-20, Noor 2-20) by 18 runs

Spinner Nasum Ahmed returned figures of 3-21 to help Bangladesh thrash the Netherlands by nine wickets in the second T20 international Monday as the hosts clinched the three-match series.Bangladesh bundled out the tourists for a paltry 103 and romped home to their target in 13.1 overs to take a 2-0 lead in the series in Sylhet.Bangladesh, who won a third successive T20 series, have kept their momentum ahead of the T20 Asia Cup starting September 9 in the United Arab Emirates.Left-handed opener Tanzid Hasan made 54 and put on an unbeaten 64-run stand with skipper Litton Das, who scored 18.But it was Bangladesh's bowlers who set up victory as Nasum, who came into the team as one of two changes, struck twice on successive balls in the third over.Dutch skipper Scott Edwards played out the hat-trick ball from Nasum but later fell for nine off left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman.Opener Vikramjit Singh made 24 off 17 ball before he fell to pace bowler Taskin Ahmed and was one of just three batsmen to manage double figures.The wickets kept tumbling as the Netherlands survived just 17.3 overs after being invited to bat first.Number nine Aryan Dutt made 30 as he took the team past 100 before he was the last wicket to fall.Bangladesh started their chase briskly with Parvez Hossain Emon's 23 off 21, and after his departure Tanzid and Litton steered the team home.The final match of the series is on Wednesday at the same venue.BRIEF SCORESBangladesh 104 for 1 (Tanzid 54*, Emon 23) beat Netherlands 103 (Dutt 30, Vikramjit 24, Nasum 3-21, Mustafizur 2-18, Taskin 2-22) by nine wickets