India go 1-0 up in the series with a thumping 101-run victory in the first T20I
Cuttack: Hardik Pandya made a memorable comeback to national colours, striking a mood-lifting unbeaten fifty and then took a key wicket as India etched a dominant 101-run win over South Africa in the opening match of the five-match series here on Tuesday.
The victory helped India take a 1-0 lead in the rubber and it also pushed South Africa to their lowest-ever T20I total. Their previous lowest was also against India — 87 all out in Rajkot in 2022.
India had been pushed onto the back-foot after SA asked them to bat first on a tacky red-soil surface, but Pandya’s commanding 59 not out off 28 balls rescued them from early turbulence. India posted a competitive 175/6.
On a pitch that demanded discipline, South Africa showed none, to be all out for a mere 74 in 12.3 overs, as the hosts’ bowlers ran through them with relentless accuracy.
Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel grabbed two wickets each, while Pandya fittingly chipped in with the prized scalp of David Miller.
It was also South Africa’s first defeat in three T20Is in Cuttack.
Arshdeep set the tone early, removing Quinton de Kock for a two-ball duck and dismissing Tristan Stubbs with sharp movement. Axar Patel struck in his first over to send back Aiden Markram, leaving South Africa tottering at 28/3. Pandya’s removal of Miller deepened the collapse before Chakravarthy and Bumrah cleaned up the tail with precision, the latter reaching 100 T20I wickets.
Earlier, Pandya, returning after a 74-day layoff, completely shifted the momentum with clean hitting. His 59* featured six fours and four sixes, including a ramped shot to reach his fifty. Supported briefly by Tilak Varma and Axar Patel, he powered India to 71 runs in the last six overs on a two-paced pitch that troubled the top order.
