DURBAN: Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi took three wickets each after Sanju Samson’s century to help India defeat South Africa in the first T20I of the four-match series here on Friday.
Chasing a target of 203, South Africa were bundled for 141 in 17.5 overs.
The hosts had an unwanted start to the run-chase as they lost skipper Aiden Markram (8) in the first over. They lost two more wickets inside the powerplay before Heinrich Klaasen (25) and David Miller (18) stitched a 42-run partnership to stabilize the innings.
However, Chakravarthy dismissed both batters in the same over to diminish all hopes of South Africa, leaving them struggling at 87-5 inside 12 overs.
Bishnoi also took two wickets in the next over to further increase South Africa’s troubles.
Gerald Coetzee played a cameo of 23 runs from 11 balls before India bundle South Africa for 141, with Chakravarthy and Bishnoi leading the bowling attack.
Avesh Khan also chipped in with two wickets, while Arshdeep Singh bagged one.
Earlier, South Africa opted to field first and drew first blood with Gerald Coetzee taking the wicket of Abhishek Sharma (7).
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However, Sanju Samson knitted a quick partnership of 66 runs from 37 runs with the captain Suryakumar Yadav (21). Patrick Kruger got rid of Yadav, bringing out Tilak Varma to the crease.
Samson and Varma added 77 runs for the third wicket from only 34 balls to push the team’s total to 167 inside 15 overs. However, both batters fell in quick succession to leave India struggling.
Varma scored 33 runs off 18 balls before falling prey to Keshav Maharaj, while Samson was dismissed by Nqabayomzi Peter in the next over.
Samson top-scored with a blistering 107-run knock from 50 balls, laced with seven boundaries and ten sixes.
South Africa bowlers did not allow India to recover from this double blow as the visitors slipped from 167-2 to 202-8 with the eighth wicket falling off the last ball of the innings.
Coetzee led the bowling attack of South Africa with the figures of 3-37, while Maharaj, Peter, Kruger and Marco Jansen bagged one wicket each.
India Playing XI: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Varun Chakravarthy
South Africa Playing XI: Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Patrick Kruger, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Nqabayomzi Peter
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