India vs South Africa 1st T20 Highlights: SA beat IND by seven wickets, South Africa made a joke of India’s bowling attack in the opening T20 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday, chasing down their greatest ever run-chase and racing to a seven-wicket win.
Rassie Van der Dussen (71 not out off 45 balls) and Miller (64 not out off 31 balls) put on an undefeated 131-run partnership to chase down a difficult 212-run mark with incredible ease and five balls to spare.
With the support of Ishan Kishan (76 off 48 balls), new skipper Rishabh Pant (29 off 16), and Hardik Pandya, India reached a commanding 211 for four (31 off 12).
The Indians, however, were beaten by the genius of Miller and van der Dussen, who played with the opposition’s onslaught. India’s 12-match winning streak came to an end with this defeat.
Temba Bavuma (10) and Quinton de Kock (22) of South Africa got off to a flying start, racing to 22/0 in the opening two overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, on the other hand, delivered a stunning leg-cutter to dismiss Bavuma.
Dwayne Pretorius (29 off 13) and de Kock then ripped Yuzvendra Chahal and Hardik Pandya to shreds.
While Chahal gave up 16 runs, Hardik, whose return to bowling had been greatly awaited ahead of the series, gave up 18 runs and was smacked for three sixes by Pretorius, one of which was 91 metres long.
Harshal Patel ultimately broke the alliance with a slow full throw that fooled Pretorius.
The Indian bowlers continued to strike at regular intervals and restrict the boundaries, stalling the game. ‘Killer Miller,’ on the other hand, had a different perspective.
Continuing his IPL form, the Southpaw slammed three sixes and a handful of fours in the 12th and 13th overs to put South Africa back in the game, while van der Dussen played second fiddle to perfection.
With 80 needed off the last six. Miller brought up his fifth T20 half-century.
India had the opportunity to break the dangerous partnership between Miller and van der Dussen but Shreyas was guilty of dropping the latter at deep midwicket on 29.
The drop cost India dearly as van der Dussen pummelled Harshal to submission. The South African hit three sixes and a four.
After that, it was a six-hitting fest as both the batters hit five maximums each.
After being asked to bat first, India got off to a flying start. As Bavuma chose to open with spinner Keshav Maharaj, the hosts scored 13 runs off the opening over, with Kishan smashing back-to-back fours.
Recognizing his error, Bavuma brought in pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who limited the scoring by giving up two runs in the next over.
At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Kishan appeared to be struggling against Anrich Nortje’s speed, but he and Rituraj Gaikwad (23) continued to swipe boundaries and sixes with ease.
Dwayne Pretorius dropped Gaikwad on 17 at the start of the seventh over. The right-hander, though, was unable to take advantage of the reprieve, as he was caught at midwicket by Bavuma off Wayne Parnell, who had made a return.
As India raced to 100 runs in 9.4 overs, Kishan and newcomer Shreyas Iyer (36) continued to score runs at freely.
Maharaj was finally redeemed when Ishan smashed the length ball straight into David Miller’s grasp at wide long-on. Iyer, too, left not long after.
After that, captain Pant and his deputy Pandya, who returned to the side after leading Gujarat Titans to the IPL triumph, struck a flurry of fours and sixes to provide the finishing flourish.
On the field, the visitors were similarly sloppy, losing catches and a stumping opportunity.
Iyer then smashed Tabraiz Shamsi over long-on for a couple of sixes.
Kishan smashed Maharaj for a six-over dip midwicket to bring up his third T20 fifty in style. In the groove, he then ripped the spinner apart in his next over, smashing the ball for back-to-back sixes and two fours.
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