IND VS SA 1st ODI Match Highlights

Team India 2.0 played South Africa in the first ODI of the 3-match series on Thursday. In the rain-affected match, the visitors posted 250 runs for the hosts to chase in 40 overs. India failed to comply and lost the match by 9 runs. Miller and Klassen were top performers for South Africa. Samson and Shardul played valiant roles for India.

South Africa Innings

South Africa posted a total of 249 in the first 40 overs. This was a very competitive score on a pretty evenly matched field. Both teams will believe they have a chance thanks to the seam and swing for the paces, the spin for the tweakers, the great bounce, the quick outfield, and the value for the shots played by the batters. This match was reduced to a 40-over game due to rain. Although the visitors had a shaky start, de Kock and Malan stood their own and added 49.

The outstanding Shardul then dispatched Malan and Bavuma in a single blow. Aiden Markram was outwitted by Kuldeep, while rookie Ravi Bishnoi ended de Kock’s resistance. That prepared the ground for the well-prepared David Miller and the anti-spin Klaasen.

Both performed admirably, beginning with ones and twos before smashing 53 runs off the final five overs. Their bowlers will want to take advantage of this surface after the 106-ball, 139-run stand gave their team a reasonable chance. The Indians did bowl well, produced opportunities that were unexploited, and faltered in the latter stages.

India Innings

India put up a valiant effort, but they were always in danger after falling to 51 for 4. Rabada and Parnell were excellent up front as they used the circumstances well. Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan formed a partnership, although it moved slowly and hindered India’s pursuit after Gill and Dhawan were cheaply dismissed. Both were given starts before being dismissed in quick succession; Shreyas responded by scoring a half-century in just 33 balls.

Shardul Thakur had a successful day with both bat and ball. Samson was glad to have some company. Samson put forth a valiant effort, scoring an unbeaten 86 off 63 balls, but the goal remained elusive. Despite Tabraiz Shamsi having a terrible day, Rabada, Parnell, and Maharaj did enough to guarantee victory.

Even though South Africa entered the series as the clear favorite, they probably weren’t prepared for it to be that competitive, especially when India’s chase seemed to be going smoothly for the majority of the time. But they are up 1-0, with 10 points in the CWCSL standings, and will aim for more in the next match on Sunday in Ranchi.

What Captains Said

Shikhar Dhawan, the losing captain talked about the team’s performance. He said, “Quite proud of the way the boys played the game, we didn’t get a good start, but the way Shreyas, Samson, and Shardul batted was excellent. We gave away too many runs on a wicket that swung and spun, the fielding wasn’t great, but this was a good learning experience for us.”

Temba Bavuma, the winning captain looked happy with the team’s performance. He said, “A good fight at the end, obviously Sanju pushed us at the end, but the boys stood firm and took us to the win. There wasn’t much grass on the surface, we lost a couple of wickets in the middle overs, myself and Aiden (Markram), but the boys knuckled down. Miller and Klaasen played positively, stung together a partnership and took us to a good score. Bowling upfront was good, in the first 15 overs by KG and Parnell. I thought we lost our way in the middle overs, and gave away far too many runs, but at the end, the result did go our way and I’m happy with that.”

IND VS SA ODI Series: Favorites South Africa Win First ODI by 9 Runs