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On a high-scoring night, South Africa emerged victoriously with a five-wicket win and pulled off the highest T20I run chase against India. Half-centuries from David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen helped visitors chased down a mammoth total of 212. The duo tested Rishabh Pant’s captaincy skills as they went berserk in the slog overs to take 1-0 lead in the five-T20I series.
Bavuma’s surprising move works
Chasing 212, South Africa lost their skipper Bavuma early in the third over. Promoted up the squad, Dwaine Pretorius provided the much-needed boost in the powerplay overs with a 13-ball 29 cameo. The move worked for South Africa but Harshal Patel put an end to his innings with a slower yorker in the sixth over. After Pretorius' wicket, the run rate went down. Quinton de Kock lost his wicket to Axar Patel in the ninth over to Axar Patel.
The match-winning partnership
Van der Dussen struggled to get boundaries and scored at almost run-a-ball while in-form Miller took on the bowling. Miller got to his half-century from just 21 deliveries. In the 17th over, Van der Dussen broke free and hit Harshal for three sixes and one four to make the run chase easy for South Africa. He reached his half-century in the same over from 38 deliveries. In the next over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar leaked boundaries as well and the equation was 12 runs from 12 deliveries.
Van der Dussen finished the run chase with a reverse sweep off Yuzvendra Chahal in the final over. He remained not out for 75 off 46 deliveries including seven fours and five sixes. On the other end, Miller stayed not out for 64 off 31 deliveries. The southpaw's quickfire knock was studded with four fours and five sixes. The two shared a match-winning unbeaten 141-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Good start
Earlier, Bavuma won the toss and opted to field first. India got off to a good start with Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad sharing a 57-run partnership from 38 deliveries. Injured KL Rahul's replacement, Gaikwad scored 23 runs from 15 deliveries before getting out to Wayne Parnell. The left-arm pacer made his T20I comeback after nearly five years.
Kishan goes ballistic
Kishan accelerated after the fielding restrictions. In the middle overs, South African spinners took a beating from Kishan and Iyer. Kishan got to his half-century in the 11th over. In the 13th over, he went after Maharaj and hit him for two sixes and as many fours. However, the left-arm spinner had the last laugh as he got the prized wicket. The opener scored 756 runs from 48 deliveries including 11 fours and three sixes.
In the 17th over, Shreyas got out to Pretorius and missed his fourth half-century on the trot. He scored 36 runs from 27 deliveries. Pant and Hardik Pandya took helped India finish with a flourish. Pant scored 29 runs from 16 deliveries. Pandya was ultra-aggressive and hit three big sixes in his unbeaten 12-ball 31. Making a comeback to the T20I side, Dinesh Karthik did not get enough deliveries and scored just a single in India's total of 211/4.
