On Thursday, the Indian team suffered a 9-run defeat in the rain-affected first ODI match. South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The start of the match was delayed due to rain and it was reduced to 40 overs. The second match will be played in Ranchi on Sunday.
Electing to bat after losing the toss, South Africa made a slow start and scored 41 runs in 10 overs without losing a wicket. Earlier, South Africa had lost four wickets for 110 runs. After this, Miller (five fours, three sixes in 63 balls) and Klaasen (six fours, two sixes in 65 balls) put up an unbeaten 139 for the fifth wicket to help their team cross 250 runs.
Thakur took two wickets for 35 runs in eight overs. Mohammad Siraj did not manage to take any wickets. Shardul Thakur made Malan his victim. Thakur took his second wicket in the form of Bavuma. Debutant leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi conceded 31 runs in his first three overs. Kuldeep Yadav bowled Aidan Markram with his excellent leg spin and did not even allow him to open the account. Quinton de Kock continued to play his innings, but in the 23rd over, he was dismissed leg-before by Bishnoi.
Miller played with restraint and caution, reaching the boundaries of loose deliveries and reaching his 18th fifty in 50 balls with four fours and a six. Klaasen also soon completed his fourth fifty in ODIs for which he took 52 balls. Bowling problems continued in the ‘death over’ as Miller and Klaasen completed a century partnership in just 84 balls. India also performed poorly in fielding during the match and dropped four catches.
Despite the Indian team coming close to victory with half-centuries from Sanju Samson (86 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (50 runs), the Indian team lost by 9 runs. Chasing the target, the Indian team had a poor start. On the score of 8 runs, both the openers of the Indian team returned to the pavilion. Sanju Samson (63 balls, nine fours, three sixes) and Shreyas Iyer (37 balls, eight fours) handled the Indian innings. Samson shared 67 runs for the fifth wicket with Iyer and 93 runs for the sixth wicket with Shardul Thakur (33 runs) to take the team close to the target. But the team could score only 240 runs for eight wickets in 40 overs.
Match highlights
