Samson's Century and Spin Pair Guide India to Commanding Win in T20I Opener
Sanju Samson's scintillating century and a superb performance from India's spinners steered the visitors to a 61-run victory in the first T20I at Kingsmead, Durban. Samson, who struck his second consecutive T20I hundred, smashed 107 runs off just 66 balls, with 17 fours and 13 sixes. His brutal hitting, particularly square of the wicket, included 69 runs from just 19 balls in the region between point, cover, and square leg. Samson's partnerships with Suryakumar Yadav (66 off 37 balls) and Tilak Varma (77 off 34 balls) provided India with significant momentum in their innings, enabling them to reach 202 for 8.
South Africa managed to pull things back after Samson's dismissal in the 17th over, but India still posted their fourth-highest total against the hosts. However, South Africa's chase never got going, with only three batters scoring over 20 runs. India’s spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, took three wickets each, stifling South Africa's run chase. Despite a strong start from Gerald Coetzee and a brief cameo from Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, the South African batting line-up collapsed, and they were bowled out for just 141, handing India a dominant win.
Chakravarthy’s quick strikes in the middle overs, including dismissing Klaasen and Miller in quick succession, sealed South Africa’s fate. With the win, India took a crucial 1-0 lead in the series.
Updated on 8th November, 2024 by MyFortune11