India vs South Africa Twenty20 International Highlights: JP Duminy Steals India's Thunder after Rohit Sharma's Brilliant Ton
JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien shared an unbeaten 105-run to guide South Africa to a seven-wicket win over India in first T20I. Catch all the highlights of the match here.
South Africa defeated India by seven wickets in the first Twenty20 international in Dharamsala on Friday to take the lead in the three-match series. Catch all the highlights here. (SCORECARD | NEWS | FEATURES)
2256 hrs IST: QUOTES!
JP Duminy: One of my best innings. We knew it was a tough total to chase. The middle overs were crucial. I have enjoyed my time in India, love playing IPL. It's a good start for us on a long tour.
Faf du Plessis: Fantastic chase for us under pressure. Great game of cricket. We came back well.
MS Dhoni: 199 was close to par. We had to bowl well, but we gave away too many runs at phases. When some decisions don't go in your favour, it puts pressure: Dhoni on umpiring blunders. Execution is crucial and wicket was good enough to chase 200 runs. Duminy played well.
2238 hrs IST: South Africa win by 7 wickets with 2 balls to spare. Duminy is hero with 68 off 34 ball (7 sixes). 105-run stand between Duminy (68) and Behardien (32) nailed the Indians. Ashwin 1/26, Aravind 1/44. For the first time India have lost a match after posting 180-plus in their first innings. South Africa have done a fabulous job to chase down this big total. They got off to a flying start as de Villiers and Amla scored quick runs in Powerplay. De Villiers was dismissed as soon as he crossed his fifty and then du Plessis departed in no time.
2234 hrs IST: SA 190/3 after 19 overs, need 10 off 6 balls. Duminy 59, Behardien 31. Aravind bowling the final over of the match. SA need 10 to win with 7 wickets in hand. Aravind can become India's hero on his debut. Will SA choke?
2227 hrs IST: FIFTY! Duminy gets to his 50 off 28 balls with boundary No. 1. He has five 6s. SA 180/3 (18.1 overs)
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2218 hrs IST: SA 156/3 after 16 overs. Duminy 33 (18b, 4x6s), Behardien 28 (17b). Need 44 off 24 balls.
1010 hrs IST: SA 134/3 after 15 overs. Ashwin ends his spell. This is a tricky phase for India now. SA need 66 from 30 balls.
2150 hrs IST: Ashwin seems to have a neck problem. Seems to be in a bit of pain. He has bowled 2.2 overs so far.
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2144 hrs IST: WICKET! Du Plessis (4) is bowled by debutant Aravind. SA 95/3 in 10.3 overs. India right on top now. Good length ball around off, the ball stays a touch low after landing. du Plessis tries to push it through the off side but gets a bottom edge. The ball goes through and hits the stumps. Maiden international wicket for Aravind. South Africa slip further.
2138 hrs IST: WICKET! Disaster for De Villiers. He is bowled by Ashwin for 51 (32 balls). Ashwin gets the big fish! Nicely flighted ball around off, de Villiers comes down the track to play but the ball spins in sharply and disturbs his furniture. Huge, huge wicket for India as AB de Villiers was looking ominous. India celebrate. Dhoni quickly goes to Ashwin and gives him some advice, probably how he needs to bowl ahead now. India are back. SA 93/2 (9.5 ovs)
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2136 hrs IST: FIFTY! AB de Villiers gets to his 50 off 31 balls. SA 93/1 in 10th over.
2134 hrs IST: There is a bit of turn in the wicket and that's quite a surprise. Dhoni may opt for Raina's part-time off-spinners.
2130 hrs IST: WICKET! Hashim Amla falls for 36. India finally get the breakthrough! Flighted on the pads, AB de Villiers works it through the square leg region and runs in hard. AB wants another run and asks Amla to come for the second which was never to be. Bhuvneshwar Kumar fires a throw at the non-striker's end and Amla falls way short.
2116 hrs IST: Hashim Amla 25 (14b) keeps pace with AB De Villiers 34 (16b). SA 60/0 after 5 overs. Indians look flat.
2111 hrs IST: AB de Villiers is in a sizzling form and lucky too. Dhoni takes off debutant Sreenath Aravind. Mohit Sharma comes in for 4th over.
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2051 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma: Idea was to stay and bat as deep as possible. Enjoyed after 3-4 overs. Was timing the ball well and not trying to hit it hard...199 is a good score.
2044 hrs IST: That's it! SIX! Brilliant way to finish off the innings! Length ball on middle and off, Dhoni stands tall and murders it straight down the ground for a huge maximum. India finish on 199/5.
2038 hrs IST: WICKET! Ambati Rayudu run out for 0 (1b). India 184/5 (18.4 ov). All eyes on Dhoni (7) now. Rayudu run out off the first ball! Fullish delivery on the pads, Rayudu plays it to square leg. Dhoni calls for the run and sets off but Rayudu hesitates and react. Amla collects the ball and has a shy at the non-striker's end. Morris collects it cleanly and takes of the bails as Rayudu falls well short of the crease. Another Indian wicket falls.
2036 hrs IST: WICKET! Suresh Raina is out for 14 off 8 balls, shuffles but LBW to Morris. Plumb in front! Fullish delivery on off, Raina gets across to flick it on the leg side but misses and gets rapped on the pads. A huge appeal for LBW and the umpire raises his finger in approval. Replays show the ball would have gone to hit the middle stump. Can Dhoni now get India over the 200-mark? India 184/4 (18.3 ovs)
2023 hrs IST: WICKET! Rohit Sharm exits, out for 106 (66b, 12x4, 5x6). Shortish delivery on middle and leg, Rohit half pulls at it but gets a top edge onto that one. The ball travel high in the air towards the fine leg region. Morris gets under it and takes a simple catch to dismiss the centurion. A sublime knock from Rohit finally comes to an end. India 162/3 (16 overs).
2019 hrs IST: WICKET! Virat Kohli is out for 43 (27b). Shortish delivery on middle and off. Kohli is cramped for room as he pulls it in the air towards the mid-wicket region. Duminy stationed in the deep, keeps his eyes on the ball and takes a good catch to dismiss the Indian vice-captain. Abbott gets his first wicket as he finally breaks the 138-run stand. India 160/2 (15.3 ovs)
2017 hrs IST: HUNDRED! Rohit Sharma gets his century -- 103 off 62 balls. He becomes second Indian batsman after Suresh Raina to reach the landmark in T20Is. India 158/1 (15 overs), Kohli 42
2002 hrs IST: India 129/1 after 13 overs. Stunning Rohit Sharma on 82 (54 b), Virat Kohli 37 (20b). Partnership: 107
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1947 hrs IST: FIFTY! Rohit Sharma reaches his eighth half-century off 39 balls. India 86 for 1 in 10 overs. Rohit 56 (41 balls) and Virat Kohli 21 (14 balls) have been just superb.
1939 hrs IST: Virat Kohli shifts gears. A flat six followed by a 4 off Chris Morris. India 61/1 in 7.2 overs
1937 hrs IST: India's 50 comes up in 6.4 overs. Rohit Sharma 38 off 29 balls. Unstoppable so far!
1928 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma survives a half-chance. Merchant De Lange dives to his left but drops the batsman on 24. It's been a Rohit show so far.
1920 hrs IST: WICKET! India lose first wicket. Shikhar Dhawan run out for 3. There was never a second run. Poor call by Rohit Sharma leaves a diving Dhawan just short. Virat Kohli at No. 3
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1913 hrs IST: South Africa have utilised three pacers in three overs -- Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada and now Merchant De Lange.
1901 hrs IST: India openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are out in the middle. Pacer Kyle Abbott starts proceedings.
1855 hrs IST: India and South Africa players line up to remember BCCI's late president Jagmohan Dalmiya. It was Dalmiya who played a leading role in welcoming South Africa back to international cricket in 1991.
1847 hrs IST: TEAMS!
South Africa: AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada, Marchant de Lange, Imran Tahir
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Sreenath Aravind
1836 hrs IST: TOSS! MS Dhoni loses toss, South Africa will bowl first due to dew factor in Dharamsala. Sreenath Aravind to make debut for India. He is a left-arm seam bowler from Karnataka. India have left out Amit Mishra, Harbhajan Singh and Ajinkya Rahane. Ambati Rayudu gets a game.
1730 hrs IST: South Africa have a quality T20 side but interestingly India have dominated the Proteas in this format, winning 6 out of 8 matches played between them. (Here's a look at the top-5 clashes between the two sides)
17:15 hrs IST: On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 146th birth anniversary, the BCCI has launched a specially minted toss coin with the images of both Gandhiji and Nelson Mandela for the Freedom Series. The toss coin in gold features an impression of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as 'Heads' and the Freedom Series as 'Tails'. (Read full story here)
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This is the first time India and South Africa will be playing a three-match Twenty20 international bilateral series. With India hosting the ICC World Twenty20 in March-April next year, this urgency was expected.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's India won the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007 and were runners-up to Sri Lanka in the last edition in Bangladesh in April, 2014 -- having defeated the Proteas in the semi-final. (Five Talking Points)
India may be regarded as the nerve centre of the shortest format due to the popularity of the Indian Premier League, but Dhoni's men have played just three international matches in the shortest format since the World T20 final.
Team director Ravi Shastri said although India's immediate focus was on winning the three-match series, it will also help to identify areas that need improvement. (Stats: It's Advantage MS Dhoni & Co.)
Team Rajasthan and BCCI officials pay homage to Shri Jagmohan Dalmiya at the #RanjiTrophy's opening match in Jaipur https://t.co/VnQwsrS9JF
- BCCI (@BCCI) October 2, 2015
"The World T20 is still some time away, the important thing now is to win this series," Shastri said. "There is a lot of cricket to be played on this tour, but the T20s will give us a good idea of where we stand."
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On a marathon 72-day tour, South Africa's T20 captain Faf du Plessis said the Indian tour will help his players prepare for the mega event. (Spinners Will Win Us Matches: Du Plessis)
Both sides lag behind in the T20 rankings. The Proteas, the number one Test side in the world, are sixth and India, second in one-day cricket, are fourth in the shortest format.
Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel rested
The tourists have rested pace spearheads Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel for the T20 series. South Africa go into the opening match recovering from a stunning eight-wicket defeat by an effectively third-string Indian side in a practice T20 match in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Dhoni returns from a three-month break to take charge of the limited-overs teams, his first outing since a shock 2-1 one-day defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in Dhaka in June.
With Test captain Virat Kohli waiting in the wings, Dhoni will be looking to win both the T20 and one-day series to confirm his leadership role in the World T20.
The second T20 international will be played in Cuttack on Monday and the third at Kolkata's Eden Gardens next Thursday.
India squad (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Sreenath Aravind, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra.
South Africa squad (from): Faf du Plessis (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Marchant de Lange, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Eddie Leie, David Miller, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Albie Morkel, Khaya Zondo.