CRICKET
1st ODI: Van der Dussen & Bavuma tons sink India
The Indian batting line-up collapsed after a bright start from Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli.
The number 8, Shardul Thakur also fought well by scoring a half-century late in the innings but India still ended 31 runs behind the target given by South Africa.
Bavuma and van der Dussen’s magnificent hundreds helped South Africa to register a comfortable victory over India in the end.
South Africa 50 overs 296-4
van der Dussen 129*(96) Bumrah 2-48 Bavuma 110 (143) Ashwin 1-53
India 50 overs 265-8
Dhawan 79(84) Phehlukwayo. 2-26 Kohli 51 (63) Shamsi 2-52
The South African skipper Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen shared a wonderful partnership of 204 runs for the 4th wicket.
South Africa ended their first innings on a total of 296-4 from their 50 overs.
In reply, Dhawan and Kohli gave India a good start after the dismissal of KL Rahul but South Africa made a great comeback to restrict India 31 runs behind their target to go 1-0 in the series.
Bavuma and van der Dussen’s stand
South Africa lost their first 3 wickets on just 68 runs after electing to bat first.
However, Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen came in to get their side out of trouble by having an excellent partnership for the 4th wicket.
Both batsmen started patiently but when they got settled, they shifted their gears very well especially Rassie van der Dussen who batted brilliantly in the death overs with a decent strike rate.
Bavuma scored his second ODI hundred and this was a very well-paced knock according to the situation.
He got out after scoring 110 runs off 143 balls including 8 fours.
Fireworks from van der Dussen
Rassie van der Dussen’s sparkling ton helped South Africa to set a target of 297 runs on the board for India to chase.
He smashed an unbeaten knock of 129 runs from just 96 balls and his innings included 9 fours and 4 sixes.
He managed to score 17 runs from the final over as South Africa scored 86 runs in the last 60 balls.
In reply, India lost their 1st wicket on 46 runs as their skipper, KL Rahul got caught behind in the 9th over after scoring only 12 runs.
Virat Kohli then joined Shikhar Dhawan to put India in a commanding position by adding 92 runs for the second wicket.
Both Dhawan and Kohli scored half-centuries and that was the difference between the two sides.
In the first innings, Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen converted their fifties into hundreds but both Kohli and Dhawan failed to convert their half-centuries into big hundreds.
Dhawan was bowled out by Maharaj in the 26th over after scoring 79 runs.
Virat follows Dhawan
After the gap of just a couple of overs, Virat Kohli tamely top-edged the ball towards the midwicket while trying to sweep and got caught out on the bowling of Tabraiz Shamsi.
India collapsed after the dismissal of Kohli and they were even 8 down on just 214 runs at one stage.
The Indian middle-order failed badly to score which costs them to lose the match by 31 runs.
Shardul Thakur fought well with the tail-enders and scored a quick fifty but the asking rate was out of his reach at that time.
Ngidi, Shamsi, and Phehlukwayo picked up 3 wickets each.
The debutant Marco Jansen remained wicketless in his first match.