Argus News - India Crush South Africa By 101 Runs In T20I Opener At Barabati Stadium

Cuttack, Dec 9: India began their five-match T20I series against South Africa with a commanding 101-run victory at the Barabati Stadium here in Odisha on Tuesday night, courtesy of a brilliant all-round performance led by Hardik Pandya.

Batting first on a sticky surface that made stroke-making difficult, India endured early jitters as several batters struggled for timing.  Top order batsmen Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav returned the pavilion early. Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel managed promising starts but failed to convert them into significant scores. South Africa’s attack, spearheaded by Lungi Ngidi with three wickets and Marco Jansen’s economical spell, kept India under pressure with regular breakthroughs.

Pandya, however, rose above the conditions with an innings of rare authority. His unbeaten 59 off 28 balls, laced with clean hitting and sharp placement, lifted India to 175/6 — a total that looked formidable given the nature of the pitch.

Also Read: IND Vs SA, 1st T20I: Hardik Pandya powers India to 175/6 at Barabati Stadium

Once India’s bowlers took charge, the contest swung decisively. South Africa’s top order collapsed in quick succession, with Quinton de Kock, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markram, and David Miller dismissed before the score reached 50. Dewald Brevis offered lone resistance, holding one end as wickets tumbled around him, but the mounting required rate left the visitors with little chance. They were eventually bundled out for just 74.

India’s bowlers exploited the conditions ruthlessly, striking at regular intervals and ensuring South Africa never recovered. The emphatic win underlined India’s depth in both batting and bowling, setting the tone for the remainder of the series.

Hardik Pandya was adjudged Player of the Match for his blistering knock of 59 not out and a wicket with the ball.

With India now one up in the series, the two sides will face off for the second T20I on Thursday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Brief Scores: India 175/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 59*, Tilak Varma 26; Lungi Ngidi 3-31, Lutho Sipamla 2-38) beat South Africa (Dewald Brevis 22, Tristan Stubbs 14; Axar Patel 2-7, Arshdeep Singh 2-14) by 101 runs.