India vs South Africa 1st T20, Big Oppurtunity for Suresh Raina

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, recalled to the India team after a rest, took a T20 career-best 5-24 as South Africa could only muster 175-9 in its response after opting to bowl first in the match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday. Read Also: India vs South Africa 1st T20: As it happenedFaced with a target of 204, South Africa may have hoped for a good start, but that did not happen.

Rohit Sharma set about Dane Paterson after JP Duminy opted to put India in, hitting a couple of sixes in a first over that cost 18 before debutant Junior Dala had him caught behind by Heinrich Klaasen – making his T20 bow for his country – for 21 in his opening over on the global stage. In comparison, South Africa were 41 for 2 after the powerplay overs. “I felt a little more stiffness (in the field) so I chose to go off and not be stupid and tear a muscle”.

Hendricks was the pick of the Proteas batsmen with 70 from 50 balls and although Behardien showed guts for his knock of 39 off 27 balls, it was his fielding that disappointed as he dropped Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli with his Titans team-mate Tabraiz Shamsi putting down Pandey.

Virat scored 26 runs in 20 balls with two fours and a six.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan’s blistering 72 from only 39 balls helped the visitors to post 203/5, which they defended relatively easily.

Kumar took the first two wickets and put a clamp on South Africa’s scoring rate with an opening spell of two for 19 in three overs, displaying superb control and changes of pace. So, they started to play a ODI series against Proteas and consisted of six matches ODI series, India won five times and South Africa just managed one victory. So you get an idea, but, as I said, the whole thing emerges only after you’ve bowled a few balls. While Kohli wasn’t much interested in commenting on his status in the game, Indian coach Ravi Shastri not shied from giving his opinion about Kohli’s status.

The skipper further said, “We wanted to make the most of the time we have left here”. Seeing how they were bowling, we chalked out our plan. I don’t think they have come (up) with something else (yet).

“We’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror, ask how we can improve and get better”. The knuckleball is something I have been working on for nearly a year. He added that “I don’t want any tags, any headlines, I just go out there do my job”. Total 3 T20 matches will be played between these two top nations team. Notably, they had crushed the likes of Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the shortest format of the game at home towards the end of last season.