Ben Stokes and his England bowling attack did everything possible Saturday morning to keep the Ashes series alive, taking six Australian wickets for 78 runs and setting up a target of 435 to win the third cricket test.

Hard-hitting India batters Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya hammered fine half-centuries while spinner Varun Chakravarthy snared four wickets as India defeated South Africa by 30 runs to clinch the five-match T20I series 3-1 here on Saturday.

 Skipper Suryakumar Yadav's poor run with the bat continued but India still managed a massive 231 for 5 thanks to Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya's blazing half-centuries and Sanju Samson's useful contribution at the top in the fifth and final T20 International here on Saturday.

Ben Stokes inspired a revival in England's Ashes campaign on Friday in a record 106-run ninth-wicket stand with Jofra Archer that cut Australia's first-innings lead to 85 in the third cricket test.

India's footballing future was brought up in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday by Congress member Jose K Mani as he cited tiny Dutch-Caribbean island Curacao's World Cup qualification to ask Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya about the long-term plan for the game that is on a downward spiral.

Out-of-favour India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan made a compelling case for a T20I recall with a belligerent hundred to power Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title with a 69-run victory over Haryana here on Thursday.

India would hope that the challenging home assignment against South Africa, which has exposed a few chinks in the armour and thrown up difficult questions on selection, ends on a positive note when the two sides clash in the fifth and final T20 International here on Friday.

India spinner Varun Chakravarthy on Wednesday consolidated his position at the top of the ICC Men's T20I Bowler Rankings, reaching a career-best rating following a stellar show in the ongoing T20 series against South Africa.