India’s seam attack stepped up in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, with Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh delivering a decisive new-ball spell that laid the foundation for a seven-wicket win over South Africa in the third T20I at Dharamsala on Sunday.
With Bumrah unavailable for the match at the HPCA Stadium due to personal reasons, Arshdeep and Rana were handed the responsibility of taking the new ball on Sunday. The pair made full use of the seam-friendly conditions to put India on top early, striking three times inside the powerplay to set up a comfortable seven-wicket victory.
Between them, the duo returned figures of 4 for 47 from eight overs, a spell that proved decisive as India went 2-1 up in the five-match series. Reflecting on the partnership, Rana underlined the value of bowling alongside an experienced campaigner like Arshdeep.
“First of all, I always enjoy bowling with him with the new ball, especially because he’s someone who creates that pressure from one end. I like to give him company in terms of what’s in my hand. So, I enjoy bowling with him because he has a lot of experience and I get a lot of help from him.
“I found out at midnight that I was playing this match. It’s my first time here in Dharamsala. I’ve never been to Dharamsala before. It’s a lot of fun bowling here. I get a lot of help from the weather and it’s a lot of fun,” Rana said in a video shared by the BCCI on Monday.
Arshdeep, who was named Player of the Match after finishing with figures of 2 for 13, also reflected on his strong comeback after a difficult outing in the second T20I at New Chandigarh, where he had conceded 54 runs, including seven wides in a single over. The left-armer credited his mindset and the backing of the team for helping him respond strongly at a venue familiar to him from his IPL stint with Punjab Kings.
“Whether it’s good or bad, I just try to stay at a level. Like, I try to be a level-headed person and create reels. I try to keep the dressing room atmosphere light because when you play at an international level and you’re away from your family, there’s a lot of pressure. If you don’t have a good day, they give you a shoulder to help you and make you feel good. That’s the main motive of being in the team.”
Arshdeep also joked that India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel might have been a better fit for the conditions had he still been an active international cricketer.
“If the bowling coach was playing on this wicket, I wouldn’t be playing. After the last game, he said that you gave me a lot of screen time.
“Whenever I bowled a wide ball – the camera was focusing straight on the coach because many felt, ‘What if he gave a wrong bowling plan or we didn’t do practice together with him?’ For that, I will say sorry to Morne and will try to get you less screen time.”
Morkel responded with humour, laughing about the attention he received during the previous match and expressing satisfaction with the team’s bowling effort in Dharamsala.
“I received a lot of messages from players in our squad with the red ball and 50-over series that I pay for my own private channel because all they saw was me on the screen.
“I’m just happy with how the boys bounced back in this game. I thought it was a beautiful comeback with the ball by the boys,” he said.
The former South Africa pacer also took a moment to admire the setting of the HPCA Stadium, describing it as one of his favourite venues in world cricket.
“The nice thing about this ground is if you ever have an average day, you can always look up at the mountains and just feel life isn’t the same everyday. So, there’s always a great joy in coming to this venue and playing here. It’s one of my favourite grounds in the world.”