Having clinched the T20I series after winning the first two games, hosts South Africa went down in a thriller by 6 runs in a rain affected game in Johannesburg where two interruptions reduced the game to a 10-over contest due to rain and lightning. There was nothing really to choose between the two sides as West Indies showed character to hold their nerve and get the win in the end which will help their confidence. There were areas where South Africa lagged a little and we will list them out for you.
Inability to stop the Shai Hope-Shimron Hetmyer partnership hurt South Africa.Â
South Africa as expected opted to bowl first and got rid of Johnson Charles early. But they couldn’t find an answer to the Shai Hope-Shimron Hetmyer partnership. The duo of Hope and Hetmyer got themselves in and were quickly off the blocks as they both complimented each other really well out there. Captain Hope looked all class while Hetmyer supported him well as the duo put on 86 runs in quick time off 41 balls to put the pressure back on the Proteas.
The bowlers for South Africa on a tough track went for runs as the duo tore them to pieces with Hetmyer remaining unbeaten till the end while Hope fell for 48 off 25 balls. Keshav Maharaj had an off day was a rarity to see while most of the bowlers were expensive as the game got interrupted multiple times. The South Africans lacked penetration with the ball and most of them went for runs and failed to get wickets which was important as taking only 3 wickets meant the DLS score went upwards to 125 as target.
This is a slight area of concern for the South Africans as they will aim to be more clinical and have better planning against the marauding batters. The pitches will be flat and South Africa needs to bat and bowl better and be more clinical in their approach. Yes, it was a dead rubber and they lost by a small margin which can happen. They will take learnings from this and fight back in the coming games.
Starts not converted to a significant score made things difficult for South Africa.Â
Another important point to note that the Proteas got starts in the chase of 125 in 10 overs under the revised DLS method but they couldn’t convert those starts into something significant. While captain Aiden Markram fell early, Quinton de Kock got a good start and looked good yet again but fell after getting himself in and scored 28 off 14 balls. Dewald Brevis again came and played his shots striking two maximums in his 17 off 10 balls but once again got out as he did not play a long innings of note.
Ryan Rickelton batting down the order was quick off the blocks as he made 15 off 7 balls but he too fell while George Linde also scored 17 off 9 balls. All starts but no one going above 20 or 30. Jason Smith was special and he played a good hand scoring 26 runs off 10 balls but once again fell after looking good. Tristan Stubbs scored an unbeaten 10 off 5 balls but could not finish the chase off. If we compare that to West Indies’ innings and we will find that Hope and Hetmyer made 48 each and guided the innings through to a good score. That was the main difference between the two sides.
Going forward, South Africa would like to convert those starts that the players had into something significant as one score of even 40 or 50 would have ensured a whitewash for South Africa. But it was not to be. They will try to work on this aspect, sharpen their skills and do better in the coming games. That will be South Africa’s aim going forward. They will want to treat this as a minor blip in their record.
Rare failure of captain Aiden Markram affects South Africa.Â
Aiden Markram has been in red hot form lately in SA20 2026 and in the first couple of games as he made contributions that helped South Africa win games. He was the player of the match in the first game and then gave the team a quick start before departing. But here in Johannesburg, Markram had a rare bad outing with bat and ball. He came to bowl an over which went for 18 runs which can happen no doubt. But then he failed to impress with the bat scoring 2 off 4 balls.
Aiden Markram is an important cog in the wheel for the Proteas while batting as he anchors the chase and holds the innings together with stroke-makers that play around the captain. So, him getting out early created chaos and it resulted in Proteas batters getting starts but no one kicking on. Markram could have been the guy scoring that 40 or 50+ score that would have resulted in South Africa overhauling the score. But that was not to be for South Africa. Luckily, the series was won and this failure of Markram came in a dead rubber. He failed and the Proteas lost the match in the end. \
Aiden Markram would like to treat this as a one-off and regain form ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. He has been in good nick and one bad innings doesn’t make you a bad player. So, he will want to get back into form as South Africa needs a fit and fine Markram with good form guiding the innings forward. If he fails on a consistent basis, then the team will find it troubling to compete. If he does well, South Africa will perform well in the group of death. Let’s see how he performs in the mega event.
With this, the 3-match T20I series between South Africa and West Indies came to an end with South Africa winning the series 2-1 with the visitors getting a consolation win. Both teams now will travel to India for the World Cup T20 2026. Let’s see how things pan out when the World Cup commences.
Also Read:Â SA vs WI: Quinton De Kock Buries West Indies & Seals Series