Seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took career-best figures of 5-24 to help India ease to a 28-run victory over South Africa in the opening Twenty20 International of their three-game series at the Wanderers on Sunday.
Having been sent in to bat, India plundered 203 for five from their 20 overs on a flat batting wicket as opener Shikhar Dhawan hit a superb 72 from 39 balls.
It is India's highest innings total against South Africa in the shortest format of the game, with debutant seamer Junior Dala (2-47 in four overs) the most successful home bowler.
South Africa were in the game until Kumar's final over when he picked up the key wicket of Reeza Hendricks (70 from 50 balls), and then dismissed Heinrich Klaasen (16) and Chris Morris (0) in successive balls, before Dane Paterson (1) was the fourth wicket to fall as he was run out.
The home side ended their innings on 175 for nine, continuing their struggles against the tourists in the limited overs matches on the tour having been thrashed 5-1 in the one-day international series.
South Africa were dealt a blow before the start of the match as their best batsman AB de Villiers was ruled out of the series with a knee injury.
The second Twenty20 clash will be played in Pretoria on Wednesday, with the final game on Saturday in Cape Town.
India vs South Africa 1st T20I: Live Scorecard
Here is live score, updates and action of the first T20 match between India vs South Africa:
21:30
That's it! India have won the match by 28 runs to go 1-0 ahead in the series.
21:16
EPIC OVER
Four wickets from it.
Here's how it happened
SA- 159/8 after 18 overs
21:00
OUT
First wicket to spin. Chahal gets Behardien.
Behardien's done by the slowness, he goes for 39. He hits it one handed and manish Pandey takes a neat catch at long-on.
SA- 129/4 after 15 overs
20:35
South Africa need 125 runs with 7 wickets and 60 balls remaining. This match could go either way at this stage.
India would be happy to see the back of Duminy and Miller.
SA- 79/3 after 10 overs
20:20
OUT
David Miller is gone- Hardik Pandya has taken another big wicket. Another slower ball gets the wicket. It full and wide outside off and Miller lobs it up towards mid-on.
SA- 48/3 after 6.2 overs
20:15
OUT
Captain JP Duminy is out- Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a slower one and Duminy goes a little too early with his shot. It gets the elevation but not the distance. Suresh Raina runs back and takes the good catch.
SA- 38/2 after 5 overs
'20:00
OUT
South Africa were staring to look good- but then Bhuvneshwar strikes. Smuts is gone for 14.
SA- 29/1 after 2.5 overs
'19:50
Here we go- South Africa are ready for the chase.
19:35
India finish with 203
Good last over by South Africa, considering- just 9 runs off it. India finish with 203 for 5.
A good score but it is not sacred in T20 cricket anymore.
19:28
OUT
Dhoni is bowled. He tries to play it down but misses the full one completely. Chris Morris strikes.
IND: 183/5 after 18.1 overs
19:15
OUT
SHIKHAR DHAWAN IS GONE- the left hander goes for 72 runs from 39 balls. He was trying to sweep it over the keeper but Phehlukwayo responded well with a slower one. He didn't gets in the middle of the bat and Klaasen dives forward to take the catch.
IND- 155/4 after 14.4 overs
19:00
REVIEW
South Africa review for a leg before on Manish Pandey. Tabraiz Shamsi, once again, is convinced. Review says it was going on to hit the side of the leg stump.
IND- 128/3 after 12 overs
18:55
FIFTY
Shikhar Dhawan brings up his 4th T20 fifty. 51 from 27 balls - six boundaries and two sixes.
IND- 127/3 11.3 overs
18:45
OUT
Virat is gone too. Shamsi hit him on the pads and it was given out. Kohli reviewed it there were three reds on HawkEye, so the decision stayed.
IND- 108/3 after 9.3 overs
'18:40
What a start it's been though India have lost two quick wickets they made run very quickly.
Rohit Sharma started with the attack and then Suresh Raina did the same.
Now Virat and Shikhar are scoring free and fast.
IND- 98/2 after 8 overs
18:30
This is India's best ever T20I start.
18:20
OUT
Suresh Raina came, Suresh Raina enthralled for a moment, Now Suresh Raina is gone...
IND- 49/2 after 4 overs
18:10
OUT
Junior Dala has his first international wicket. Rohit Sharm was on fire from the very start. But now he is gone- 21 runs off 9 balls.
IND- 23/1 after 1.5 overs
17:30
South Africa have won the toss and elected to bowl.
Here are the teams:
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jayadev Unadkat, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
South Africa: JJ Smuts, R Hendricks, JP Duminy (c), D Miller, H Klaasen (wk), F Behardien, C Morris, A Phehlukwayo, D Paterson, J Dala, T Shamsi
17:00
Hello and welcome to the live blog of the first T20 match between India and South Africa straight from Johannesburg.
Preview
India had, earlier, lost the Test series 1-2, but came back strong to thrash South Africa 5-1 in the ODI series. The T20I series will conclude India?s tour of the Rainbow Nation and thus the Men in Blue would look to end it on a high.
Suresh Raina and Manish Pandey are the new additions to the Indian contingent for the T20I series.
However, the main focus will be on Raina, as he is returning to the squad after he last played in the shortest format for India in February last year.
The veteran has since struggled to get back into the side because of both form and fitness issues.
The other centre of focus will be skipper Virat Kohli who has been enjoying a rich vein of form. The 29-year-old ended the ODI series against South Africa with 558 runs, becoming the first batsman ever to score 500 runs in a bilateral ODI series.
Kohli struck three centuries in the six-match series and is the only Indian to notch up three tons in a bilateral series.
The skipper will look to set another record today as he is just 43 runs away from becoming the first Indian batsman to reach 2,000 T20I runs.
Meanwhile, South Africa, who will aim for redemption after their ODI debacle, will be lead by JP Duminy in the absence of injured regular skipper Faf du Plessis.
Duminy will forefront a relatively less experienced South African side as veteran Hashim Amla and ODI skipper Aiden Markram have been rested. Uncapped players such as Christiaan Jonker, Reeza Hendricks, Dane Paterson and Junior Dala have been added to the squad.
Looking at the statistics, India have a 6-2 record against South Africa in all T20Is.
History also favours India, as South Africa have tasted successive defeats in T20I matches at the batsman-friendly Wanderers pitch.
Teams
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal
South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Jon-Jon Smuts, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy (c), David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Christiaan Jonker, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Junior Dala, Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso.
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