Proteas Humiliated By India With Lowest Ever T20I Score
India handed South Africa a humiliating 101-run defeat in the first T20 international at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-game series, in which Hardik Pandya took centre stage following his absence from the side.
Aiden Markram won the toss and decided to bowl first, with dew expected to be a factor later in the game.
The Proteas welcomed back stalwart David Miller after a lengthy injury lay-off, while Anrich Nortje returned for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup Final.
The South African lineup did give the impression that they were slightly bowler-heavy, as Keshav Maharaj was due to bat as early as number 8.
Shubman Gill’s return to the crease did not last long – following his injury in the Test series – after he was dismissed off just his second ball for four runs – caught at mid-off by Marco Jansen off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi.
Ngidi struck again, dismissing Suryakumar Yadav for 12 with India teetering on 17/2.
Jansen was in the thick of the action as he once again displayed his superb fielding ability, taking a stunning catch to send Abishek Sharma back to the hut for 17.
When Jansen took his third catch of the innings to give Ngidi his third wicket – dismissing Tilak Virma for 26 off 32 balls – it left India in a perilous position on 78/4 in the 12th over.
Matters took a turn, though, when Hardik Pandya came to the wicket.
Pandya, who last batted for India in September, smashed Maharaj for 16 off the 13th over and then set about rearranging the figures of the fiery Nortje, who, until then, was bothering India with his pace.
The big-hitting Pandya brought up a scintillating fifty with a ramp off Nortje for six – becoming only the fourth Indian batter to hit 100 sixes.
Pandya’s masterful 59 off 28 included six fours and four sixes – elevating India to an above-par total of 175/6, which at one point looked highly unlikely.
India bludgeoned 105 runs off the final 10 overs and 30 off the final two.
In stark contrast, the Proteas never ever got firing as they wilted towards a paltry score of 74 – their lowest in T20 international cricket.
At one stage, Markram and Dewald Brevis looked as if they were resurrecting the Proteas innings – after Arshdeep Singh claimed both Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs – but with Markram the third wicket to fall with the score on 40, the writing was on the wall.
There was the small matter of Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Brevis – his 100th T20I wicket.
Pandya and Miller both experienced very different fortunes on their returns to their respective national sides – while Pandya embellished the Indian innings, Miller was dismissed for a solitary run in a return the trusty batter would much rather put behind him.
There wasn’t much in the way of fight and resistance as the last five South African wickets fell in a flurry and went for a pitiful six runs.
In the end, it was a demoralising defeat for the Proteas as they succumbed to India in the first game and continued their poor form in this format since reaching the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup – losing their 17th game in their last 26.
The Proteas won’t have time to dwell on this result as they have a quick turnaround for the second T20 international taking place on Thursday at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
