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New Delhi. The Indian team lost to South Africa by nine runs in the rain-hit first one-dayer of the three-match series here on Thursday despite Sanju Samson (86 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (50 runs) coming close to victory. David Miller (75 not out) and Heinrich Klaasen (74 not out) scored half-centuries as South Africa posted a score of 249 for four in 40 overs. Chasing this target, India did not start well, the team lost the wickets of both the openers on the score of eight runs.
But half-centuries from Samson (63 balls, nine fours, three sixes) and Iyer (37 balls, eight fours) played an important role in handling the team. Samson shared 67 runs for the fifth wicket with Iyer and 93 runs for the sixth wicket with Shardul Thakur (33 runs) to take the team close to the target. But the team could score only 240 runs for eight wickets in 40 overs. The Indian team scored 63 runs in the last five overs for the loss of three wickets. Samson scored 20 runs in the last over with three fours and a six, but could not win the team.
The team got the first blow in the third over in the form of Shubman Gill (03), who was clean bowled by Rabada. Rabada’s off-stump ball took the edge of Shubman’s inner bat and the leg-stump was uprooted. In the sixth over, captain Shikhar Dhawan (04) wanted to play Warne Parnell’s ball towards the third man but the ball touched his bat and the stump was uprooted. Taking full advantage of the turn and bounce from the pitch, South African bowlers bowled tightly and did not allow India to recover from these shocks. For that Lungi Ngidi took three and Rabada took two wickets. Parnell, Tabrez Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj got one wicket each.
Shamsi got his debutant Ruturaj Gaikwad (19 not out) stumped by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock as India lost their third wicket for 48 runs. Now Iyer was at the crease. In this way, the team completed 50 runs in the 18th over and in the same over, the team lost the wicket of Ishan Kishan (20 runs), who was given an easy catch by spinner Keshav Maharaj. Samson landed on the crease but after a ball the umpire declared him out, but the review was in India’s favor.
Due to this the spectators sitting in the stadium heaved a sigh of relief. In the 19th over, Shreyas went ahead and hit a boundary and Samson also hit the first six of the innings on the last ball. Iyer hit three consecutive fours in the last three balls of Shamsi in the 21st over. He and Samson together completed a half-century partnership for the fifth wicket. Both had the responsibility of taking the team to a good position. But this could not happen.
Iyer (eight fours in 37 balls) completed his 12th ODI half-century by taking a run on Maharaj in the last ball of the 26th over. But the hope of playing his long innings was broken by Ngidi in the very next over. In an attempt to pull the bowler’s ball, Iyer was caught at mid-on by Rabada. India’s score was 145 for five in 30 overs and the team needed 106 runs to win in 10 overs.
Samson then showed a restrained game and formed a good partnership with Thakur. Samson hit his second six over deep midwicket over Ngidi in the last over before completing his second ODI half-century in the 36th over. Then after completing his fifty, he sent the last two balls of Shamsi for fours, due to which India’s score was 191 for five after 36 overs.
Now the team had to score 60 runs in four overs. Thakur also opened his hand and hit a four off Rabada’s first ball in the next over. But after his score of 211 runs, the rhythm got disturbed. Earlier, South Africa had lost four wickets for 110 runs. But after this, Miller (five fours, three sixes in 63 balls) and Klaasen (six fours, two sixes in 65 balls) made their team cross 250 runs with an unbeaten 139-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
For India, Thakur took two wickets for 35 runs in eight overs. The start of the match was delayed due to rain and it was reduced to 40 overs. After being invited to bat, South Africa made a slow start and scored 41 runs in 10 overs without losing a wicket. Indian captain Shikhar Dhawan’s decision to bowl was proved right by the new ball bowlers Mohammad Siraj and Avesh Khan.
Siraj initially troubled the South African batsmen a lot by swinging the ball both ways but could not take any wickets. Dhawan hit Thakur in the ninth over and it was only after two balls that this fast bowler gave his team the first opportunity in which Jaaneman Malan touched his ball and he could have been dismissed by Shubman Gill at first slip but this Indian The fielder could not catch it.
But Thakur made Malan his victim after four overs when the ball touched his bat and fell into Shreyas Iyer’s hands at short midwicket. Debutant leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi conceded 31 runs in his first three overs. South African captain Temba Bavuma (08) hit Bishnoi for a four in the 14th over with a reverse sweep and then the next ball across the boundary with a drive.
Then Thakur took his second wicket in the form of Bavuma. Kuldeep Yadav bowled Aidan Markram with his excellent leg spin and did not even allow him to open the account. Quinton de Kock stands at one end
