IND vs SA 1st T20I: Sanju Samson stormed South Africa away with his brilliant innings and riding on his magnificent century, India defeated South Africa in the first T20I. A near-perfect team game led India to lead the series 1-0 after the first T20I of the series.
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South Africa already had the worst feats at Kingsmead, Durban and this defeat in the first T20I against India marked their fifth consecutive loss at the venue. The Proteas’ last win at this venue came in March 2016 and they have only lost at this venue.
Let’s take a look at the match summary of IND vs SA 1st T20I:
IND vs SA 1st T20I Match Summary
It was supposed to be a highly competitive match, and it did live up to the expectations. Andile Simelane made his first appearance in the international T20s. The home team won the toss and asked India to bat first.
India’s Innings- 202/8 (20)
Sanju Samson stole the spotlight today. Abhishek Sharma attempted a quick start but was caught at covers. Captain Suryakumar Yadav played a supporting role to Samson, who became the first Indian to score back-to-back hundreds in T20Is.
Samson got off to a strong start during the powerplay and maintained his momentum throughout the innings. Other batters played around him as he built two solid partnerships, each over 50 runs, for the second and third wickets.
Sanju was dismissed in the 16th over when the team scored 175. India would have easily touched 220 or more but the collapse of the middle and lower middle order led Indian innings to sum up at 202. Coetzee was the most successful bowler for Proteas with his three wickets.
South Africa’s Innings- 141/10 (17.5)
Arshdeep set the tone right from the start, claiming Markram’s wicket in the first over. With that crucial breakthrough, the spinners took charge, and both Bishnoi and Varun showcased impressive control and accuracy. They kept up the pressure, sharing six wickets between them and conceding just 53 runs in eight overs. This tight spell effectively tilted the game in India’s favor.
South Africa found it difficult to get any momentum as their top batters fell one after another. Each time they tried to break free, they lost another crucial wicket, making it tough to build a stable partnership. Coetzee fought back briefly with some powerful shots, using the long handle effectively to add valuable runs.
However, his run-out brought an end to their resistance, and Avesh Khan closed out the innings by bowling Maharaj. The Indians maintained strong scoreboard pressure, and aside from a few dropped catches, their bowling and fielding efforts were well-coordinated, leading to a convincing performance.
India bundled out South Africa for just 141 and won the match by 61 runs. The two teams will now head to Gqeberha for the second T20I on 10th November.
Player of the Match: Sanju Samson – for his 107 runs off just 50 balls and a catch behind the wickets.