India vs South Africa, 1st T20I: Bhuvneshwar, Dhawan star in India's 28-run win
Dhawan scored 72 off 39 balls to power India to 203/5 and Bhuvneshwar (5/24) followed it up with his maiden five-for in T20Is to script India's big win in the first match of the series at Jo'burg.
India win by 28 runs. So the visitors' dominance in the limited-overs leg of their South Africa tour continues in the T20Is as well. Unadkat too got himself among the wickets dismissing Phehlukwayo (13) in the final over of the innings that ended at 175/9. Bhuvneshwar ends up with his best T20I figures of 5/24, to supplement Dhawan's 72 that helped India post a big total.
The win gives India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Two wickets in two balls for Bhuvneshwar, and he completes a five-for. First Klaasen (16) holes out to Raina at long-on searching for boundaries and then Morris dismissed for a first-ball duck in the same area and in the hands of the same fielder - Raina. Bhuvi missed a hat-trick but not India as Paterson (0) is run out off the last ball of the over. SA 159/8 in 18 overs. Four wickets in the over.
Bhuvneshwar returns and strikes straight away. His third wicket. Hendricks (70 off 50) tries to play a cross-batted heave, which ends up as a skier and into Dhoni's gloves. SA 154/5 in 17.1 overs.
Klaasen joining in the fun. Brings up SA 150 with a six and then ends the Pandya over with a boundary to take the total to 154/4 in 17 overs. SA require 50 in 18 balls to win. Improbable but not impossible. Hendricks on 70* off 49 balls.
Wicket! India heave a sigh of relief as Manish Pandey runs in from long-on to send Behardien (39 off 27) back and end a threatening 81-run stand. Yuzvendra Chahal the bowler to give visitors the much-needed breakthrough. SA 129/4 in 15 overs, chasing 204 to win.
Fifty for Reeza Hendricks, off 37 balls, his first in international cricket. He and Behardien (30* off 20) have revived some of SA hopes to chase down India's 203/4. But the asking rate is climbing and is now at a steep 13.14. SA 112/3 in 13 overs.
Behardien (25 off 16) has picked up scoring and now almost taking a leading role, displaying the 360-degree-side of his batting with that reverse-swept four off Chahal. And Hendricks makes it an even better over with two consecutive boundaries - a skimmer through mid-wicket and then a cut in front of point. SA 103/3 in 12 overs, chasing 204 to win.
Farhaan Behardien finding it hard to keep up with the climbing required run-rate that is now 12.36. Fall of wickets has also slowed down Hendricks (29* off 25). SA 68/3 after 9 overs.
Miller (9) tried his luck a bit too much. After a six off Pandya, which came about only because Bumrah was in contact with the rope in his stupendous effort to tap the ball in, he tried to hit the Indian allrounder straight but only found the safe hands of Dhawan, who celebrates with his signature 'thigh slap'. SA in trouble now at 48/3 in 6.2 overs.
Another wicket for Bhuvi! Brilliant bowling by the Indian pacer who created pressure on Duminy (3) with dot balls. The SA skipper then went to hit Bhuvi's leg-cutter towards the on-side but miscued it and Raina ran back to complete a superb effort. SA 38/2 in 5 overs, chasing 204 to win.
High ball! Dhawan comes in from the fence to get under it and send Smuts (14 off 9) on his bike. Bhuvneshwar strikes to check South Africa's brisk start to a stiff run-chase. 30/1 in 3 overs.
Scratchy start by Jaydev Unadkat and the SA openers make the most of it. First a punched boundary through covers by Hendricks and then two consecutive fours by Smuts to end the over - one through the extra cover and the other a straight loft. SA 20/0 in 2 overs, chasing 204 to win.
Reeza Hendricks and JJ Smuts open the run-chase for South Africa but find it hard to figure out Bhuvneshwar Kumar after the boundary Smuts hit off the first ball. SA 6/0 in 1 over, chasing 204 to win.
End of 20 overs. The Indian innings finishes at an impressive 203/5, thanks to Shikhar Dhawan's 39-ball 72 and cameos by Kohli (26 off 20) and Rohit Sharma (21 off 9). Pandey made 29* off 27 balls, while Dhoni and Pandya chipped in with 16 and 13*. Debutant Junior Dala took 2/47.
Two back-to-back fours by Hardik Pandya, who managed to squeeze two yorker-length deliveries from Morris and send them through the vacant deep-square-leg fence. India 194/5 in 19 overs
BOWLED! Dhoni cleaned up by Morris for 16 off 11 balls. Tried to shuffle and hit through the fine-leg area, but Morris kept it full and on the stumps. India 183/5 in 18.1 overs.
A good comeback over by Dane Paterson, who has a reputation as a death-over specialist. Just eight runs off the 18th over. India 183/4.
Manish Pandey dropped on 20. Tried to scoop Morris but hit straight to Shamsi at short fine-leg. But it reached him a touch too quick. Enough time for Pandey and Dhoni to complete a single. Dhoni then slices the last ball backward of square for four. India 175/4 in 17 overs.
Phehlukwayo gets the big wicket. Shikhar Dhawan (72 off 39) is walking back, caught behind by wicketkeeper Klaasen. It was a slower ball, and Dhawan's attempted scoop could only reach as far as Klaasen's gloves. India 157/4 in 15 overs.
Dhawan dismisses the little quiet period with a 'slap on one knee'. It went crashing into the boundary boards at deep mid-wicket. And then ends the over with a copybook pull for another four. On 68* now, Dhawan won't hold back, whoever the bowler. Dala, meanwhile, has bowled out with a four-over spell of 2/47
Pandey gets into the act. Shamsi gives the ball flight but doesn't get the dip and it turns into a juicy half-volley for the right-hander, who sends the ball over the ropes behind long-off. The spinner then pitches it short, and Dhawan rocks back to smack through the mid-wicket region for a four that brings up his 4th T20I half-century in 27 balls. Shamsi then hits Pandey (10*) on the pads and goes up in appeal, but the umpire shakes his head. Duminy goes for a review; however, it stays with the umpire call. Not out. India 128/3 in 11.5 overs.
Shamsi goes up for an lbw shout against Kohli, and the umpire raises his finger. The India captain has a quick meeting with Dhawan before going for a review. No edge, hitting Kohli on the back leg, and crashing into the leg-stump. KOHLI out for 26 off 20 balls. India 108/3 in 9.3 overs.
Fifty partnership between Dhawan and Kohli in just 27 balls, and it is followed by India bringing up their 100 in just 8.2 overs. 100/2
KOHLI DROPPED! Batting on 8*, the India captain goes after Shamsi for a six but found Behardien in the way at long-on, perfectly placed to take a simple catch. But he drops it. And Kohli rubs salt into the wounds, with a cut for a four and a superbly-timed straight hit for a six. Batting on 23* off 16 balls now. India 98/2 in 8 overs.
Dala trying to bounce the Indians out, but Dhawan takes him on and deposits the youngster over backward square leg for another six. And finished it with another boundary in the point region. Crunched it. 18 runs off the last Powerplay over. India 78/2 in 6 overs. Dhawan 30* off 13, Kohli, 9* off 7.
Chris Morris begins with an expensive over - 11 runs off it, courtesy two lucky boundaries for Dhawan, both behind the wicketkeeper. India 60/2 in 5 overs.
Indians dealing almost exclusively in boundaries, the pick of which came off Dhawan's bat as he flicked Dala for a crunchy six over deep square leg. And Raina then almost tipped one over the bar for a boundary behind point. And then committed suicide - a nothing shot against Dala, who gets his second wicket by completing the return catch - a skier off Raina's (15 off 7 balls) miscue. India 49/2 in 4 overs.
Raina looks in a hurry. A six and a four off Paterson, though the boundary was a slightly lucky one as he just about managed to keep it away from the back-paddling fielder. India 37/1 in 3 overs.
Suresh Raina has been sent in at No. 3. So Kohli giving the left-hander a chance to prove himself on his comeback.
Junior Dala starts bowling duties from the other end, looks fairly brisk and nippy. But like Paterson, he too gave Rohit the gift of width and the Indian opener accepted with glee. Another four. But it followed a loose shot from Rohit (21 off 9 balls). OUT! Tried to play an upper cut, the bowler didn't appeal, the umpire didn't raise his finger. But SA fielders were confident. Duminy went for a review and the nick was confirmed. India 23/1 in 1.5 overs.
And we are off at the Wanderers! Dane Paterson runs in to bowl to Rohit Sharma, and it doesn't take long for the 'Hitman' to launch himself. Provided width and he slashes it so hard that it carries over the ropes for a six. And he didn't stop there. The fifth ball of the over was pitched short and Rohit took full advantage with a hook for another six. It finished with a boundary as Paterson once again sprayed it around, this time wide of the off-stump and Rohit slashed for another boundary to the vacant third-man fence. India 18/0 in 1 over.
Team News: South Africa lose AB de Villiers to injury. Suresh Raina back for India. Manish Pandey and Jaydev Unadkat get a game as well. Kuldeep Yadav is out with a thumb injury.
#TeamIndia Playing XI for 1st T20I against South Africa. Suresh Raina makes his comeback in the eleven #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/OknbejnRoW
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 18, 2018
How the #Proteas will be lining up in the first #KFCT20 #SAvIND #ProteaFire pic.twitter.com/NR710WoXmF
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 18, 2018
TOSS NEWS: South Africa win the toss and decide to bowl.
"Looks like a belter," says Shaun Pollock in his pitch report. "There won't be any help for the fast bowlers, not much turn."
Suresh Raina, who is set to make a comeback in India colours, will look to prove his mettle in the middle order and press claim to be in the frame for the 2019 World Cup as well.
How's that for a @ImRaina flourish! #TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/O0KJR4ldww
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 17, 2018
With a short interval for preparation after the ODI series that ended on Friday, the Virat Kohli-led India will aim to repeat similar performance as they did in the 2006 one-off T20I at this venue against the hosts.
We are into the last leg of India's tour of South Africa, and it begins with the first of the three T20 internationals at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
