The Indian team got off to a winning start in the T20I series against South Africa on Friday (November 8) at Kingsmead in Durban. They secured a dominating victory by 61 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
Invited to bat first, India got off to a fine start owing to Sanju Samson’s attacking mindset. Although, Abhishek Sharma (7) exuded confidence with his first boundary, he was holed out at mid-off, trying to play a big shot.
Thereafter, Samson and Suryakumar Yadav continued the team’s momentum by scoring consistent boundaries. In the sixth over, the visitors crossed the 50-run mark. Two overs later, Samson slammed two consecutive sixes off Nqabayomzi Peter to reach his fifty off 27 balls.
However, Patrick Kruger’s slower delivery broke the duo’s blossoming 66-run stand as Surya (21) get holed out at square leg in the ninth over. Then, Tilak Varma arrived at the crease and employed a fearless approach with Samson, who was going all guns blazing with his ball-striking.
Sanju Samson slammed a sensational hundred off 47 balls to put India in a commanding position. However, after the departure of Varma (33) and Samson (107), the Men in Blue lost their plot.
The visitors went on to compile a total of 202 in their allotted 20 overs. Gerald Coetzee emerged as the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas with three scalps.
India spun web around South Africa to script a comfortable victory
In response to a big target of 203, South Africa captain Aiden Makram started off with delightful boundaries, but Arshdeep Singh induced the edge on the fourth ball of the first over.
Although, Ryan Rickelton (21) and Tristan Stubbs (11) had starts, they could not convert them into a substantial knock. Then, Heinrich Klaasen (25) and David Miller (18) gave hope to the South African fans, but they fell at the wrong time to Varun Chakravarthy.
Ravi Bishnoi further piled misery on the hosts with his triple strikes by dismissing Patrick Kruger (1), Andile Simelane (6) and Marco Jansen (12) in consecutive overs. Although, Gerald Coetzee (23) slammed three sixes, he could only lessen the losing deficit, as South Africa were bundled out for 141. Chakravarthy and Bishnoi scalped three wickets each for the India side, while Avesh Khan bagged two.
Both teams will meet in the second T20I on Sunday (November 10) at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.
