India secured a commanding 101-run victory over South Africa in the opening T20 International, taking a crucial 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The formidable performance, driven by Hardik Pandya’s all-round brilliance and exceptional bowling, sets a strong tone for India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup. Played at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, the match saw the Indian bowlers dismantle the South African batting lineup.
Chasing a target of 176, South Africa’s innings imploded early. Arshdeep Singh delivered a sensational start, claiming the crucial wicket of Quinton de Kock for a duck on the second ball. He followed this up with another wicket in the third over, leaving South Africa in disarray. Despite brief resistances from Markram and Dewald Brevis, the Indian bowlers consistently applied pressure, with Axar Patel striking to remove the Proteas captain within the powerplay.
Hardik Pandya, returning to the bowling attack, made an immediate impact, dismissing the dangerous David Miller on his first delivery. The South African batting unit struggled to gain any footing, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Varun Chakaravarthy eventually ended Marco Jansen’s brief surge of momentum. Jasprit Bumrah reached a significant milestone, completing his 100th T20I wicket by dismissing Dewald Brevis and then Keshav Maharaj in the same over. The collapse continued with Anrich Nortje falling soon after, and Shivam Dube sealing the victory with a fine catch.
South Africa was ultimately bowled out for their lowest-ever T20I total of just 74 runs. Earlier, India’s innings saw a shaky start with the dismissals of Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav. Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma provided stability, but the middle overs were a struggle. Hardik Pandya’s exceptional unbeaten knock of 59, featuring six fours and four sixes, was the cornerstone of India’s 175/6. Cameos from Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma further bolstered the total on a challenging pitch that offered considerable assistance to the bowlers.
The next T20I is scheduled to take place in New Chandigarh.
