Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) added a moment of lighthearted theatre to the third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala on Sunday, intentionally delaying a seemingly obvious Decision Review System (DRS) signal to build suspense.
The incident occurred during India’s comprehensive seven-wicket victory, which secured a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The Hendricks DRS Drama
The theatrical moment unfolded early in the South African innings when opener Reeza Hendricks was struck on the front pad by a delivery from Arshdeep Singh.
- Confidence: The Indian team, especially the bowler and wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma, were immediately convinced the batsman was out, signaling their intent to challenge the not-out call.
- The Delay: Instead of the instant “T” signal typically seen when teams are confident, Suryakumar Yadav took his time, pausing dramatically before finally signalling for the review, much to the amusement of viewers and commentators.
- The Result: The review confirmed the team’s confidence, showing the ball hitting the stumps (likely “three reds,” based on the visual evidence implied by the conviction), resulting in Hendricks’ dismissal for a three-ball duck.
Arshdeep Explains the Script
Arshdeep Singh, who finished as the Player of the Match for his brilliant spell, explained the situation during the post-match conversation, confirming the delay was a conscious piece of captaincy drama rather than genuine indecision.
“Not really. It was Surya bhai who wanted to get some suspense in that one. I knew that it was out from the moment it struck Hendricks on the front pad. When I got the approval from Jitesh Sharma, we were going for the review, but Surya bhai wanted to take some time and then signal the review,” Arshdeep revealed.
A Night of Course-Correction
The light-hearted moment capped a night of serious course-correction for Arshdeep Singh himself. After enduring a tough previous outing in the series, the cold air and responsive surface of the Dharamsala pitch allowed the young pacer to find his rhythm. His disciplined bowling, alongside the efforts of Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakaravarthy, was pivotal in bundling South Africa out for just 117, setting up the comfortable chase for India.