IND vs SA 1st T20I: Arshdeep Singh showed his class in his comeback game with some unplayable swing deliveries before KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav ensured a comfortable eight-wicket win for India in the first T20I against South Africa at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
The low-scoring game saw Indian opener and Vice-captain KL Rahul hit unbeaten fifty, while Suryakumar once again entertained the fans with his power-packed performance and hit a brilliant fifty to help the home side take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Earlier, Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar broke the visitors back by removing 5 of their top players inside the powerplay that halted the Proteas aim to score big and they only managed to set a target of 107 for full-strength Indian side.
IND Vs SA match highlights
Invited to bat, South Africa failed to tackle the swing bowling of India’s fast bowlers Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh.
Right after the dismissal of skipper Temba Bavuma on the last ball of the first over. The Proteas lost their 4 more wickets in the next 9 delivers.
The visitors faced a tough time in the middle, losing half of their side inside the powerplay, courtesy of Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar.
Aiden Markram got out after scoring 25 off 24. While Wayne Parnell also tried his best to add some runs on board with his 24 runs knock.
The event of losing the wickets didn’t stop for the Proteas. However, with the help of Keshav Maharaj’s steady 41 they did managed to cross the 100-run mark and set a target of 107 in front of the men in blue.
Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowler for India. He bagged 3 wickets. Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel grabbed 2-2. While Axar Patel took a single wicket.
Chasing a target of 107, India too witnessed a little shock when their skipper Rohit Sharma walked back without even scoring a single run. And then Virat Kohli also departed after hitting just 3.
However, India’s vice-captain KL Rahul and the highest-ranked Indian batter in T20Is Suryakumar Yadav soaked all the pressure and guide India to a comfortable victory.
Both hit half-centuries in the process, with Rahul was playing the anchor role in the chase. It was Surya again, who took the responsibility of entertain the crowd as he smashed 50 off just 33. His knock included five fours and three sixes. Rahul played an unbeaten knock of 51 off 56.
Player of the match – Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh was honoured with the player of the match award for his spectacular bowling performance that gain India advantage from the start overs of the match. He took 3 wickets in his 4 spell of 4 overs.
