The centurion for India, Sanju Samson is up for a quick chat and says that it feels great to contribute to the team. He says that there was a lot of hard work put on behind the scenes, and today it generated the result for him. Tells that the new ball was coming onto the bat nicely but as it got old, it became a bit difficult to bat on. Adds that he and Tilak Varma took their time to build a good partnership after KL Rahul’s dismissal. Appreciates Keshav Maharaj for his economical bowling. Concludes that they will try to restrict the hosts with good bowling.
South Africa utilized the pitch conditions well. It was expected to be a good surface to bat on first but the pitch was expected to be on the slower side. The bowlers did well to pick the right lines and lengths. Nandre Burger gave them the first breakthrough as he cleaned up the debutant and the attacking batter, Rajat Patidar. Beuran Hendricks clinched the wicket of Sai Sudarshan and it was Wiaan Mulder who sent the opposition skipper back to the pavilion just when he was building a good partnership. After that, the bowlers were put under pressure from the steady partnership. Keshav Maharaj was rewarded with the wicket of Varma. Williams dismissed the set batter, Samson just when he had started playing aggressively. Hendricks clinched his second as he sent Axar Patel back to the pavilion. Hendricks picked up his third with the wicket of Sundar. Williams dismissed the dangerous Rinku Singh in the final over and prevented further damage.
India started off well and took the attack to the bowlers, especially the debutant Rajat Patidar. Along with Sai Sudharsan, he put up a good partnership but after the dismissal of Patidar, the runs stopped coming at a good rate. The bowlers built pressure on the batters as Sai Sudharsan and Sanju Samson tried to build a partnership. Sai Sudharsan was soon dismissed and so was KL Rahul, the skipper. This put India in a tight spot. However, a slow but strong stand between Samson and the youngster, Tilak Varma helped put some runs on the board without taking any risks. These two batted brilliantly and started attacking the bowlers releasing some pressure as well. Varma was dismissed not long after he completed his maiden ODI half-century but Rinku Singh came in and picked up from where he left. Samson was sent back but the team will be delighted with the knock he played. Washington Sundar played some good shots but he too was dismissed soon. Rinku was the next to depart after his explosive cameo pushing India over the 290-run mark. It is now up to the bowlers to defend 296.
What an interesting first half of the match have we witnessed. It is rightly said that cricket is a game full of twists. India had a strong start to their innings but the bowlers put the batters under pressure with a few wickets. Sanju Samson rebuilt the innings along with the help of his teammates and completed his century in style. India ended the innings with a solid 296 runs on the board.
49.6 overs (1 Run) Swing and a miss but the batters scamper through! Nandre Burger bowls this one on a length and angles it across the right-hander. Avesh Khan has a wild slog across the line but is beaten all ends up. Heinrich Klaasen grabs the ball and under-arms the throw back to the bowler as Arshdeep Singh is already at the striker’s end. Burger opts not to go for the run out and they do get the bye. India finish with 296/8 on the board!
49.5 overs (1 Run) Well bowled again by Nandre Burger! Another yorker, this time wide of the off stump, Arshdeep Singh makes a bit of room and jams it out to deep point for one more.
49.4 overs (1 Run) Full and quick, gets it in the blockhole around off, Avesh Khan backs away and squeezes it behind point for a single.
Avesh Khan is the new man in.
49.3 overs (0 Run) OUT! TAKEN! Another solid catch in the deep, this time from Reeza Hendricks and Rinku Singh’s entertaining knock comes to and end. Nandre Burger tries to hold his nerves and looks for the quick yorker on off stump, he just misses though and servses a low full toss that is angling in. Rinku gets low and goes across to slog it over deep mid-wicket but gets it really high. Hendricks keeps his footing just inside the ropes and holds onto the catch with both hands.
49.2 overs (6 Runs) SIX! High and goes the distance as well! All the pressure now on Nandre Burger, 10 already off the first two deliveries. Banged in a bit short at the body with pace on again. Rinku Singh just swings it away off his hips and sends it flying over the square leg fence for a biggie. 300 now in sight for India.
49.1 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Like a tracer bullet! Full and wide with pace on, Rinku Singh hangs back and makes some room before thumping it past cover-point for a boundary.
48.6 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Oh, hello! Arshdeep Singh with an absolutely nonchalant strike. Looks to go full and straight but serves it in the blockhole. Arshdeep hangs deep in his crease and just hits through the line, whacking it high and handsome over the long on fence for a mammoth six.
Arshdeep Singh is the new batter in.
48.5 overs (0 Run) OUT! Excellent catch by the skipper Aiden Markram. A low full toss aiming at the off stump, Washington Sundar clears his front leg and tries to get under it for a biggie, he does get a good piece of bat on it but fails to beat Aiden Markram who is stationed at the edge of the ropes at long-off. He jumps in time and tosses it up in the air as he goes beyond the ropes and comes back in the field to take it in the second attempt. An absolute blinder from the skipper.
48.4 overs (1 Run) Back of a length outside off, Rinku Singh stays inside the crease and goes for a pull but miscues it towards wide long-on for a single.
48.3 overs (1 Run) Proper yorker at the stumps, Washington Sundar stays inside the crease and jams it out towards extra cover and sprints for a single. Not much one can do about that ball, that was perfect.
48.2 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Much needed boundary for India! Length ball which angles further down the leg, Washington Sundar throws his bat for a pull and gets whole of it. The ball races away to the boundary towards fine leg. Poor bowling this from Beuran Hendricks.
48.1 overs (1 Run) From over the wicket and pitches outside off on a fuller length, Rinku Singh attempts to whack it away but gets the inner half of the bat instead towards widish long on and runs a quick single.
47.6 overs (2 Runs) Good, aggressive running from the pair. Pitched up full on the stumps, Washington Sundar clears the front leg and chips it over mid off without much timing before racing back for the second run.
47.5 overs (1 Run) Very full and around off, pace on this time, Rinku Singh heaves it away toward wide long on and picks up only a single.
47.5 overs (2 Runs) TWO WIDES! Wayward from Lizaad Williams as he spills this one well down the leg side. Heinrich Klaasen does well to dive to his right and get a glove on it. The batters pick up a run as well.
47.4 overs (0 Run) Trying to be cheeky but to no avail. Takes pace off again and bowls it fuller this time around off, Washington Sundar shuffles across for the lap sweep but misses and takes a tumble.
47.3 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Cracked away! Slightly shorter in length, it was the cutter, Washington Sundar keeps the front leg out of the way, frees his arms and cuts it hard in front of square for a boundary.
47.2 overs (1 Run) Just another single! Goes for the yorker on the legs at 143 clicks, Rinku Singh flicks it on the full using his wrists but towards deep square leg for one.
47.1 overs (1 Run) On the hard length on off and angling away, Washington Sundar backs away a bit and pats it behind point for a single.
46.6 overs (1 Run) Shorter and outside off again, Washington Sundar gets the inner half of the bat on that one and gets a single to widish long-on. 10 runs and a wicket from that everlasting over.
46.5 overs (1 Run) Back of a length at 140 clicks, around the off stump line, Rinku Singh pushes it to extra cover pocket and sprints for a single.
46.5 overs (1 Run) WIDE! Slower, shorter and way down the leg by Beuran Hendricks. Rinku Singh leaves it alone and the keeper grabs it on his right.
46.4 overs (1 Run) Back of a length, slightly around the off stump, Washington Sundar tucks it towards square leg and runs a quick single.
Washington Sundar is the new man in.
46.3 overs (0 Run) OUT! CAUGHT! Bowling to his field here Beuran Hendricks and he picks up his second wicket. Another slower one, pitched up on the stumps, Axar Patel looks to pick it up and whip it leg side towards the longer boundary but only gets the height not the distance. The ball flies to deep mid-wicket where Wiaan Mulder settles under it to take a fine catch. India lose another wicket at the death.
46.2 overs (1 Run) Darts in a yorker at the off stump, Rinku Singh brings the bat down at the right time and carves it to extra cover for a quick single.
46.2 overs (1 Run) WIDE! The attempted slower one now goes wrong and is spilled well down the leg side.
46.1 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Sliced away! Bowls on a back of a length and wide outside the off stump from over the wicket, Axar Patel slices it away by opening the face of the bat towards backward point for a boundary. A good start to the over.
45.6 overs (0 Run) A fruitful over for Lizaad Williams and South Africa, just 4 runs and a wicket off it. Slower one, bowled into the deck and angled across the left-hander. Axar Patel is surprised by it as he looks to pull and can’t get any bat on it.
45.5 overs (1 Run) Full and on the legs, flicked away firmly by Rinku Singh but he finds the fielder at deep square leg and picks up just another run.
45.4 overs (1 Run) Hard length on the stumps, Axar Patel plays the lofted shot but off the inner half of the bat and down to long on for only a single.
45.4 overs (1 Run) WIDE! On a good length and drifting down leg, Axar Patel misses the flick and the keeper pouches it safely. Lizaad Williams appeals in order to escape the wide but the umpire isn’t fooled that easily.
Axar Patel is the new batter in.
45.3 overs (0 Run) OUT! TAKEN! Lizaad Williams gets a wicket but that marks the end of a sublime knock from Sanju Samson and he gets a few shakes of the hands from the Proteas players. Lizaad Williams pitches it up on the stumps, a bit in the slot as well. Samson hangs deep in his crease but loses his shape as he looks to hit it hard down the ground. The ball gets sliced up high and lands near extra cover where Reeza Hendricks takes a good catch. Samson departs and South Africa will now look to tighten things up a bit.
45.2 overs (1 Run) Gets it full and straight this time, Rinku Singh doesn’t quite get under it and thumps it down to long on for a single.
45.1 overs (0 Run) Gets away with it! Comes from over the wicket and tries to angle it across but ends up serving a high full toss on off stump. Rinku Singh is taken aback and only manages to hit it straight to covers.
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