AUS vs SA Highlights, 3rd T20I: Australia beat South Africa by 2 wickets, clinch series 2-1

Aiden Markram to Mitchell Marsh, Oh, some turn! Sharply spins in from outside off, on a length. Marsh is forced to go on the back foot and punches it to the cover-point region.

Aiden Markram to Travis Head, Flights it up, full and on middle, turns away off the deck. Travis Head sits down and drags it wide of mid on for a single.

Aiden Markram to Travis Head, The length is pulled back and this is an in-drifter on middle and leg. Head backs away and punches it to the cover region.

That last ball just spoilt what was a terrific opening over from Kagiso Rabada. Skipper Aiden Markram gets the ball in his hand.

Aiden Markram to Travis Head, Around the stumps. Floated full and around off, Travis Head taps the front foot out and smashes it to point.

Kagiso Rabada to Mitchell Marsh, SIX! HUMONGOUS! A short ball, outside off, Mitchell Marsh picks the bones out of that, pulling it mercilessly over deep mid-wicket! 164 more needed from 114 balls.

Kagiso Rabada to Mitchell Marsh, Nagging length, outside off, Mitchell Marsh chops it to backward point.

Kagiso Rabada to Mitchell Marsh, WIDE! He will have to reload that one again! Throws it down leg, on a length. Wide called.

Kagiso Rabada to Mitchell Marsh, Up in the air... but no bat involved! Back of a length, jagging back into the pads. Mitchell Marsh misses to whip that away and the ball spoons up off the front pad, and lands beside the pitch.

Kagiso Rabada to Travis Head, Quick run! Full and straight, Head forces it to wide mid on for a single.

Kagiso Rabada to Mitchell Marsh, This one zips back into the batter off the deck, on a length, around off. Mitchell Marsh brings the bat in front to block, but plays over the line. The ball beats the inside edge and goes off the back thigh pad. Lobs in front of first slip. They get a leg bye.

Kagiso Rabada to Mitchell Marsh, KG starts on the money! Attacks the stumps straightaway, on a back of a length, Mitchell Marsh gets behind the line and blocks it off.

The players are back on the field. In the second T20I, Australia folded up for 165 on a much better pitch, attempting to chase 219. This is a tougher pitch to bat on and even though their side is packed with hitters, they all are ones who like the ball coming onto the bat. Someone will either have to play a blinder, like Brevis, or bat till the end in the top 3. The Proteas take their positions in the field, with Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head as the openers for Australia. It will be Kagiso Rabada to start things off to Marsh. Let's resume!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

If we closely look at the bowling card of Australia, barring Aaron Hardie, who was taken to the cleaners for 27 runs in an over, everyone bowled decently. Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa shared two apiece while Nathan Ellis bagged three to his name. Clearly the pace off tactic and bashing the ball into the pitch, have worked in Australia's favor, as maximum wickets fell against those lengths. South Africa might feel that they left 20-25 runs with the way they were cruising in that middle phase, but the surface is still a mystery box and the way the Proteas bowled in the previous game, they will take a lot of inspiration from that. Also, remember, South Africa are yet to defeat Australia in a series of three T20Is. So, a lot is at stake. We shall be right back with the run chase on the other side. Stay tuned.

After the Powerplay, Dewald Brevis switched to overdrive mode with a burst of clean, authoritative hitting, racing to his fifty and powering South Africa's scoring rate. Dropped on 9, he made Australia pay in full, smoking it to all parts while Stubbs anchored with quiet composure. For a while, the two-paced pitch seemed to lose its sting as the partnership flourished. But once Brevis departed, the innings nosedived. The fluency vanished, and, fairly, no one else could quite find the middle of the bat. Australia clawed back with precision. Zampa’s wrong 'uns and leggies found just enough grip to stir a few gasps. From a dominant 110/3, South Africa slumped to 138/6, and tellingly, only two overs, the final two, after Brevis’ wicket, managed to reach double figures.

South Africa were jolted early as Markram fell to Hazlewood in the first over on a two-paced wicket. Timing proved elusive, with the ball occasionally skidding through and at other times holding up a bit. Pretorius arrived with intent, struck a few boundaries, and briefly lifted the tempo, but couldn’t stay long. Both sides traded punches early doors, as just 19 runs came off the first three overs before a burst of 27 in the next three hinted at a momentum shift at the end of the Powerplay.

Good score? Under par? That's surely the question circling in our minds after seeing what happened in the first innings. Australia might feel that they did a good job of restricting the Saffas below 200. There was no clear consensus on what a par score might be on this alien surface, and it certainly wasn’t as easy to bat on as Brevis made it seem. At one stage, South Africa looked set to cruise past 200 without breaking a sweat, but the wheels just came off midway through the innings, and the acceleration stalled.

Nathan Ellis to Kagiso Rabada, FOUR! Up and over! Why to farm the strike when Rabada is around? A short ball outside off, Kagiso Rabada reaches out and slaps it over cover for a boundary! 21 in the last 2 overs and SOUTH AFRICA FINISH ON 172/7!

Nathan Ellis to Rassie van der Dussen, Takes the single this time. Short in length, around off, Rassie reaches out and slaps it through mid off for one.

Nathan Ellis to Rassie van der Dussen, Full, on middle, van der Dussen looks to flick but gets a leading edge behind point. Does not take the single.

Nathan Ellis to Rassie van der Dussen, WIDE. Full, outside off, going way off the pitch from around the wicket, Rassie van der Dussen slashes hard but misses.

Nathan Ellis to Kagiso Rabada, Full, outside off, Kagiso Rabada swings for the heavens but misses. The batters go for the bye and the keeper, Josh Inglis, lobs it to the bowler, thinking he will run Rabada out at his end but Ellis does not throw.

Kagiso Rabada walks in next, at number 9, replacing Senuran Muthusamy.

Nathan Ellis to Senuran Muthusamy, OUT! CAUGHT! Another wicket falls to the short ball. Fourth, as per our calculations - Markram, Pretorius, Brevis and now Muthusamy. This is around off, Muthusamy goes for the pull but is done in by the bounce. Gets a top edge which flies in the air and Josh Hazlewood is stationed at short fine leg. But he makes a real meal of this and just about catches it to his right, with the ball going away from him. Those big buckets trap the ball. Muthusamy departs for 9 (8) and from 110/3, South Africa are now 165/7. 4 balls left.

Nathan Ellis to Senuran Muthusamy, EDGED, FOUR! South Africa will take how they come. A length ball, outside off, Senuran Muthusamy throws his hands at it and gets a thick outside edge, which flies through the vacant slip region to the deep third fence.

Ben Dwarshuis to Senuran Muthusamy, Slower ball, down the leg side, Senuran Muthusamy looks to access the leg side with a massive free real estate from deep square leg. But he ends up playing ay too early and the ball goes off the back of the bat to deep backward square leg. Just a single. 10 from the over, Ben Dwarshuis finishes with bowling figures of 4-0-37-0.

Ben Dwarshuis to Rassie van der Dussen, A short ball again, this time Rassie slaps the pull to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Ben Dwarshuis to Rassie van der Dussen, FOUR! HAMMERED! A short ball, outside off, angling away, Rassie van der Dussen comes down the track and slaps it over cover for a boundary!

Ben Dwarshuis to Rassie van der Dussen, A short ball now, pulled straight to short mid-wicket.

Ben Dwarshuis to Rassie van der Dussen, Down the leg side, helped through square leg for another couple.

Ben Dwarshuis to Rassie van der Dussen, From around the wicket, a low full toss on leg stump, Rassie van der Dussen is backing away to the leg side but ends up chipping it towards mid-wicket. There is no one there and Dwarshuis himself runs after the ball. Cameron Green comes in running from somewhere and Dwarshuis backs off. And then, Green attempting for a javelin throw of 100 metres, with Tim David eagerly waiting at the bowler's end, releases the hand rather than the ball and it drops down beside him. Two runs taken.

Ben Dwarshuis to bowl the 19th over. 3-0-27-0 so far.

Nathan Ellis to Senuran Muthusamy, Backs away to the leg side, does Muthusamy and Ellis angles this away from him, from outside off. Muthusamy slashes but misses.

Nathan Ellis to Rassie van der Dussen, On a length, around off, van der Dussen clips it through mid-wicket for one.

Nathan Ellis to Senuran Muthusamy, A short ball now, Senuran Muthusamy pulls it towards deep backward square leg for a run. 150 UP FOR SOUTH AFRICA. 14 balls left.

Nathan Ellis to Rassie van der Dussen, On a length, outside off, steered behind point for a single.

Nathan Ellis to Rassie van der Dussen, Full, around off, clipped through mid on for a couple.

Nathan Ellis to Rassie van der Dussen, MISFIELD, FOUR! That's shoddy from the skipper. Full, outside off, Rassie van der Dussen drives it to the left of mid off. Mitchell Marsh gets across to his left and bends but the ball goes right through the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which seems to have been built just now in Cairns. Escapes to the ropes behind.

Nathan Ellis returns. 2-0-12-2 so far.

Josh Hazlewood to Senuran Muthusamy, Short, outside off, slashed behind point where a good piece of fielding saves the boundary. Two runs taken. A wicket and 4 runs from the over, 8/2 in the last 2 overs.

Josh Hazlewood to Rassie van der Dussen, On middle and leg, flicked towards deep mid-wicket for a run.

Josh Hazlewood to Senuran Muthusamy, On middle and leg, flicked through mid-wicket for a single.

Josh Hazlewood to Senuran Muthusamy, On a length, outside off, Senuran Muthusamy punches it towards point.

Senuran Muthusamy walks in next, at number 8, replacing Corbin Bosch.

Josh Hazlewood to Corbin Bosch, OUT! CAUGHT! Second wicket for Hazlewood. On a length, around off, angling in, Bosch tries to play a short-arm jab towards the leg side. Don't think he intended to find the boundary as there was barely any power or intent in that shot. But the timing was sweet and because there was no definite plan for either a boundary or a single, there was no clear intention to keep the ball down. He ends up hitting it much better than he would have wanted. The jab ends up straight into the hands of Nathan Ellis running in from deep mid-wicket. Bosch departs for 1 (4) and from 110/3, South Africa are now 138/6! 22 balls left.

Josh Hazlewood to Corbin Bosch, A yorker, on middle, Corbin Bosch digs it out nicely.

Josh Hazlewood is back on. 3-0-26-1 so far.

Adam Zampa to Corbin Bosch, Around off, bunted down to long off for a single. A wicket and just 4 runs from the over, Adam Zampa finishes with bowling figures of 4-0-24-2.

Adam Zampa to Corbin Bosch, Tossed up, around middle, driven down the ground but Zampa does well to make a half stop with a dive to his right.