Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi spun a web to strangle the middle-order after Sanju Samson hammered a superb century as India thrashed South Africa by 61 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium here today. It has been India's record that they have never lost a T20I match here. The record was maintained with a comprehensive win. This is India's fifth win from six T20Is after the T20 World Cup triumph.
Returning to the T20I side after three years, Chakravarthy along with fellow T20 specialist spinner Bishnoi, bowled excellent lines, mixed up the deliveries well to restrict South African batsmen in the middle overs as the hosts chased a mammoth target of 203.
South African batters got frustrated and tried to hit their way out of trouble but failed to do so as Chakravarthy claimed 3-25 while Bishnoi bagged 3-28 as India maintained their dominance over South Africa after defeating the Proteas in the T20 World Cup final a few weeks back. South Africa were never in the chase and were bowled out for 141 in 17.5 overs as India started the series on a winning note.
The Indians responded with a brilliant all-round performance after Sanju Samson had set them up with a scintillating 50-ball 107 to create history in making him the first Indian batter to score hundreds in successive T20Is.
South Africa landed in trouble early as they lost skipper Aiden Markram on the fourth ball of the innings, edging behind to Samson. From 8/1, they fell to 3-44 with Tristan Stubbs (11) and Ryan Rickelton (21) joining the skipper in the pavilion.
He, along with Heinrich Klaasen, gave the innings a solid platform for the Proteas as the pair added 42 for the fourth wicket. But after Chakravarthy got smashed for a huge six, he sent back the South African big-hitter two balls later, and then a ball later he got Miller to reduce South Africa to 87/5. Bishnoi also took two wickets in an over, which included Patrick Kruger (1) and Andile Simelane (6) in the 12th over as South Africa slipped to 93/7. Avesh Khan also took two wickets as only four South African batsmen could reach into the double figures.
Earlier, Sanju Samson continued from where he left off in the third T20I against Bangladesh, hammering a second successive century in T20Is as India reached a daunting total of 202/8 after being asked to bat first.
Samson scored 107 runs in 50 deliveries as he became the first Indian player to score hundreds in successive T20Is. His scintillating innings saw the 29-year-old blitz seven boundaries and 10 sixes as he rushed to the fastest hundred by an Indian versus the Proteas in a T20I game.
Given the fact that the overcast skies and rains can make the playing conditions favorable for the bowlers, Indian batters were expected to face a big challenge in the middle as the hosts had won the toss and decided to bowl first.
But Samson took his form from the series against Bangladesh and began from the second over. Both Samson and Abhishek Sharma (7) hit the ball, off Markram's bowling for a boundary each in the second over and the former hit a four and six off Keshav Maharaj's opening two balls in the very next over.
India looked all set to take control of the game but was turned around as South Africa began to take control back when Gerald Coetzee delivered the first blow when Sharma tried to clear long-on off a back-of-length delivery only to not get the middle of the bat as Markram, back-pedalling from mid-on, did not miss in an awkward position.
The 21-year-old skipper Suryakumar Yadav joined Samson, who was dealing in boundaries, and showed his intent by hitting the ball straight over the head of Coetzee later in the over. Both the batsmen continued their aggressive approach and India reached 56/1 at the end of Power-play. Desperate to break the partnership which was taking threatening proportions, Markram introduced Patrick Kruger in the attack in the ninth over. Kruger scalped the important wicket of Yadav off the last ball to reduce India to 90/2 despite bowling five extras and conceding 15 runs.
Out came Tilak Varma (33) and the 22-year-old, with Samson, accelerated the ever-growing run-rate, taking India to the 150-run milestone in the 14th over. Samson continued his onslaught and reached his historic century in 47 deliveries in the 15th over, but Maharaj got the wicket of Varma later in the same over.
Trying to look to change gears, Samson decided to have a go at Peter Nqabayomzi over next and despite hitting the second ball of the over all the way into the stands, walked back into the same over. A short ball saw Samson send it into the air and Tristan Stubbs pouched a superb catch right on the boundary line to send the centurion back into the pavilion. A 77-run stand by Samson and Varma set the platform for India to hit a huge score.
Brief scores:
India 202/8 in 20 overs Sanju Samson 107, Tilak Varma 33; Gerald Coetzee 3-37 beat South Africa 141 all out in 17.5 overs Heinrich Klaasen 25, Gerald Coetzee 23; Varun Chakravarthy 3-25, Ravi Bishnoi 3-28, Avesh Khan 2-28 by 61 runs.
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