The defeat in Gqeberha has rung alarming bells for Suryakumar Yadav to re-work their strategy to bounce back in the third T20I on Wednesday. The series is currently levelled at 1-1 as the Proteas exposed the Indian batters' struggles on the bouncy track in the second T20I, where they ended up scoring just 124 while batting first. The talented batting line-up will look to get their mojo back at SuperSport Park, Centurion, but there are chances that Suryakumar Yadav and make-shift coach VVS Laxman might look to make some changes in the XI.

Abhishek Sharma has not been able to live up to expectations since scoring a century in Zimbabwe in his second T20I. The left-handed explosive batter struggled to tackle the short balls, and the opposition found a way to get rid of him early, which is a concerning sign for him and the team. Time has started to run out for him as team management might look to open with Tilak Varma in Centurion and give Ramandeep Singh a debut cap to bat in the middle order. His medium-pace bowling might also come in handy on a tricky wicket. India also need to find a suitable spot for explosive Rinku Singh, who was pushed down in the line-up in the last two matches.

In the bowling department, it seems like Avesh Khan might get benched after ordinary performances in the first two matches, as Yash Dayal and Vijaykumar Vyshak are waiting in the wings. Being a right-arm pacer, Vyshak might get an edge over Dayal, who possesses skills similar to those of Arshdeep Singh.

Meanwhile, after returning to winning ways, South Africa are expected to continue with the same combination. However, they would need the senior pros skipper Aiden Markram, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen to fire in this series.

India Probable Playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ramandeep Singh , Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vijaykumar Vyshak.

South Africa Probable Playing XI: Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Nqabayomzi Peter.

India will face off against South Africa in the third T20I of the four-match series in Centurion on Wednesday, November 13. The rubber is currently deadlocked at 1-1.

After the visitors clinched the opening T20I by a significant 61-run margin, the Proteas came roaring back in the second encounter to level the series with a three-wicket win. Both teams have all to play for heading into the final two games of the assignment.

India’s squad for 4 T20Is against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.

On that note, Here is India's predicted playing XI for the third T20I against South Africa.

While Sanju Samson has a century and a duck to his name in the series so far, Abhishek Sharma just hasn't fired. The southpaw will need to be at his best against South Africa's fast bowlers, with a bouncy wicket likely to be rolled out in Centurion. Both players will be watched closely on Wednesday.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav has looked slightly off color in the series so far, and his returns in 2024 haven't been at their absolute best. However, he can be backed to come up with a meaningful display in Centurion.

The rest of India's middle order is expected to wear a similar look, despite the presence of names like Jitesh Sharma on the bench. Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh will need to take the visitors to a big total.

Ramandeep Singh might have to wait a bit longer for his maiden international appearance, although India could use a deeper batting lineup in the third T20I.

Yash Dayal and Vyshak Vijaykumar are waiting for their opportunities on the bench, but it's hard to see how they will fit in. India might go into the third T20I against South Africa without any changes in the bowling department.

Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan will man the pace attack, with Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakaravarthy forming a dangerous two-man spin tandem through the middle overs.

This series between the world cup finalists is intriguingly poised

South Africa vs India in the 3rd T20, at SuperSport Park in Centurion, comes with the four-match series intriguingly poised at 1-1. A high-scoring game should be in prospect with Centurion’s reputation as a quick-scoring ground. Last year South Africa chased down 259 here in just 18.5 overs to set a new record for the highest T20I chase.

India won the first game by 61 runs after opener Sanju Samson scored 107 off 50 balls in India’s 203-8. The visitors then bowled the hosts out for 141. In the second match, South Africa restricted the Men In Blue to 124-6, but then were in trouble at 86-7 in the 16th over, before Gerald Coetzee and Tristan Stubbs took South Africa home, Stubbs finishing unbeaten on 47.

This has been quite a year for 24-year-old Stubbs. In February he has become only the 11th batter to make a first-class triple century in South Africa, and last month he made his maiden test and ODI hundreds.

Defeat ended India’s 24-game unbeaten run in T20 cricket. Part of this run included the T20 World Cup final in June when they beat South Africa by 7 runs.

That final appearance interrupted the Proteas' struggle in T20 cricket. Victory in the last game was only their second in their past nine T20Is. If South Africa lose this 3rd T20, it will mean they would extend their winless run in bilateral T20 series to eight in a row.

India's batting woes continue

India's batting woes have been a major talking point throughout the series, and they will need to find a solution quickly if they want to win the series. The Centurion pitch is known to be a good one for batting, but it can also be challenging for batters who are not used to playing on it. The Indian batters will need to be more consistent in their approach and try to avoid making rash shots. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh will need to step up and deliver for the team. If India can get their batting in order, they will be a force to be reckoned with in Centurion. But if they continue to struggle, they could find themselves on the wrong end of the result in the third T20I.

A key to the match will be how India's bowlers fare against a dangerous South African batting lineup. The likes of David Miller, Aiden Markram, and Tristan Stubbs are all capable of scoring runs quickly, and the Indian bowlers will need to be at their best to keep them in check. The Indian bowlers will need to be disciplined in their bowling and avoid giving away too many free runs.

The third T20I between India and South Africa is set to be a fascinating contest. Both teams are looking to win the series, and the match is sure to be a high-scoring affair. The Indian bowlers will need to be at their best if they want to restrict the South African batters, and the Indian batters will need to find a way to get back on track if they want to win the match and take the lead in the series.