India vs South Africa, 1st T20I Match Summary

Right then, the first game of the five-match T20I series is done and the visitors have the early lead. Still, a long way to go but the next game is pretty important as one team will have the chance to get closer to the series win while the other can level the series. The 2nd T20I will be played on Sunday, the 12th of June at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. That match will begin at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT) but our build-up will begin much sooner. Do join us then. Take care and goodbye!

David Miller (64* off 31 balls) is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his match-winning innings! Miller says he has been working hard the last 4-5 years and understands the game well now. Adds that the chat was to hang in there, he was hitting well while Rassie was struggling so they tried to limit the dots and hit the loose balls. Shares that he has been around for quite some time and it gives him good confidence now. Mentions that wherever the team wants him to bat, he is happy to help and make a difference.

Temba Bavuma, captain of South Africa says that they expected the wicket to get better at night and it did happen. Adds that the way Ishan Kishan batted, he made it look very easy and put their spinners under pressure and with the left-hand, right-hand combination it was difficult to bowl at them. Goes on to applaud Rassie and Miller for their efforts and mentions that they need to execute their plans a bit better while bowling and it may seem overly critical but that's what makes a difference. Says that Miller is a powerhouse and Rassie is a different player, he backs himself to hit the ball well after taking a bit of time and is happy with their efforts. Ends by saying that yes it is hot but it's about preparing for the game.

Indian skipper, Rishabh Pant says that they had enough runs on the board but feels that they were off the ball and says David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen played brilliantly. Feels that the wicket got better in the second half and tells next time they will do better to execute their plans with the ball.

Presentation ceremony...

Man of the moment, Rassie van der Dussen is up for a quick chat. He says he feels good, they had a good preparation. Adds the wicket was sticky but David Miller helped him a lot. Adds that he was a few boundaries away, the intent was clear and he just needed to hit a few out of the middle to get away. He sometimes take 30-40 balls and that is his gameplan that has worked for him in the last few years,and the management trust him as well. Informs Avesh Khan put him under a lot of pressure but Miller helped him from the other end. Shares that they had clear instructions and Dwaine Pretorius gave a great start. The key was not to panic and hang in there. Ends by saying, sometimes the strangest things that make a difference, seems like the game turned when he changed his bat.

Earlier in the game, India were inserted into bat and after a quick-fire start, Ishan Kishan went on to score big to lay down the foundation for a big total. Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and especially Hardik Pandya played blistering cameos to take the final total to 211. The South African spinners were mostly inefficient but Keshav Maharaj did bowl well and picked up an important wicket. The pacers too had a mixed day but were good in patches of the game. The visitors need to go hard from the start to chase down the score and Dwaine Pretorius gave them the best start possible even after losing a wicket early in the Powerplay. After a sedate start, Rassie van der Dussen was able to change the momentum of his innings and along with David Miller made the chase look pretty straightforward in the end. Let's now head over for a few interviews...

At the halfway mark, Ishan Kishan mentioned that 150 might have been a par score on this pitch and India would have been confident of defending the total. But given the dimensions of the ground and how the game works nowadays, no total is big enough and the Indian bowlers learned it the hard way. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was very good inside the Powerplay but whoever came on got hit. It was then Harshal Patel who turned the tide with the wicket of Dwaine Pretorius and after that Axar Patel and the others were able to keep a lid on the runs. Avesh Khan was expensive in his first over but bowled well when he came back on. Bhuvi and Harshal just didn't have an answer at the death for the well-set batters and Shreyas Iyer's dropped catch of Rassie when he was going nowhere might have been the turning point.

The visitors have had a night to remember here in Delhi. With 212 needed to win, no one would have expected that they would be able to chase it down. But they had the experience and it showed in the most important moments of the game. After a quick start, skipper Temba Bavuma fell early. Dwaine Pretorius was sent in as a pinch-hitter and it worked wonders for South Africa inside the Powerplay. Once he was dismissed though, Quinton de Kock too fell. Rassie van der Dussen wasn't able to get going at all but David Miller did get a good start at the other end which just kept the visitors in the game. Rassie van der Dussen came alive though when it mattered the most and just smoked the bowlers to all parts in the last few overs. Both batters surpassed their individual fifties and put on a mammoth partnership of 131 runs to win the match for their team.

Sensational, sensational stuff from South Africa and there will be no lucky 13 for India as they fall short of the record! The visitors have pulled off a miraculous chase and have gone 1-0 up in the five-match T20I series. The crowd inside the stadium and the Indian team have been stunned.

FOUR! Rassie van der Dussen, what a brilliant innings this has been! Tossed up, full and outside off. Rassie van der Dussen reverse-hits it over point and for a boundary. South Africa win by 7 wickets.

Yuzvendra Chahal to bowl the final over. Can he defend 3 runs?

This is full and on the pads. Rassie van der Dussen flicks it to short fine leg. There is a yes and no for a single and Miller was already halfway mark. Rassie van der Dussen was running to the danger area but luckily for him, the throw was well wide and Rassie comes back safely inside the crease. 4 needed now.

FOUR! Streaky boundary but it might just be the final nail in the Indian coffin! A well-directed short ball around off. Rassie van der Dussen looks to pull but is late on it. The ball goes off the gloves and beats short third man, running away to the boundary.

TWO LEG BYES! NOT OUT! Patel serves a low dipping full toss on middle and leg. Rassie van der Dussen steps down and across to slog-sweep it but misses and gets rapped on the pads. An appeal for LBW but nothing given. Patel convinces Pant to take it upstairs and Ball Tracking shows the batter came well out and also the impact was outside off.

A huge, huge appeal from the bowler for lbw but the umpire remains unmoved. At this stage, Rishabh Pant just has to go for the review and does just that. The third umpire checks UltraEdge first and there's no spike on it. The impact is deemed as umpire's call, just outside off and beyond 2 meters as well. So, the on-field decision stands and South Africa can breathe a sigh of relief.

This is full and outside off. Rassie van der Dussen skips down and swings across but fails to connect.

On the pads, whipped to deep square leg for a single.

Too full and on off. Miller jams it out back to Patel.

FOUR MORE! A length ball, angling across, outside off. Rassie van der Dussen again looks to cut but gets a thick outside edge and it goes past the diving keeper to third man for a boundary. 12 needed now.

FOUR! Rassie van der Dussen steps out early. Kumar serves a gentle length ball, outside off. Rassie looks to cut but gets an outside edge over point for a boundary.

A bit of a delay here as Rassie van der Dussen calls for a drink and the 12th man rushes out with a bit of hydration. It is warm out there for sure.

SIX! Rassie van der Dussen has come alive, late but in just time! The stand is now 111! This is full and on off. Rassie van der Dussen stays back and pummels it over cow corner for a biggie. Given his score now, no one will believe how badly he was struggling in the early phase. 20 needed in 14 balls.

Outside off, on a length. Miller strokes it to cover for a sharp single.

On a length and outside off. Miller mistimes his punch to cover.

Wide! Kumar stays away from the arc and serves it way outside off. Miller slashes and misses. Rishabh Pant collects and appeals and takes the review after getting a no from the umpire. Pant is having a chat with Miller and goes back to his position as the replay shows there was nothing on the UltraEdge.

SIX! KILLER MILLER! What an innings this is from him! This is full and on off, in the slot for Miller and he punishes it straightaway. Hits it over long on for a biggie. Now, pressure straight back on Bhuvi.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-0-21-3) to bowl out here. Also, the innings timer shows that India are one over behind and they have to get a move on to get the overs completed in regulation time.

Excellent delivery but 22 have come off the over! A yorker, outside off. Rassie van der Dussen fails to jam it out. 34 needed in 18 balls.

SIX! Out off the middle! Fifty for Rassie van der Dussen! From struggling once and getting a life once, he has stepped to the occasion! Short in length, slower and on off. Rassie van der Dussen steps across and pulls it hard over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.