Press Trust of India
Dharamsala, Oct 2: Rohit Sharma’s (106, 66b, 12×4, 5×6) blistering century went in vain as South Africa began their long tour of India on a winning note by scripting a thrilling seven-wicket victory over India in the first T20 game here Friday.
Leading the South African charge was JP Duminy (68 n o, 34b, 1×4, 7×6) and giving him able company was Farhan Beherdien (32 n o, 23b, 4×4, 1×6) as the visitors knocked off the winning target of 200 runs with two balls to spare. South Africa were also aided by a brilliant start by AB de Villiers (51, 32b, 7×4, 1×6) and Hashim Amla (36, 24b, 5×4). The two put on 77 runs for the first wicket in only 46 balls.
Left-handed Duminy played with a lot of responsibility under pressure and could not have timed his eighth fifty in T20Is better than this. Thanks to his gritty batting, South Africa collected 22 runs off Axar Patel in the 16th over and 14 when Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled the penultimate over. Duminy hit Patel for three sixes in one over and the left-arm spinner will definitely have nightmares when he bowls again.
Debutant left-arm paceman Sreenath Aravind was given the daunting task of bowling the last over from which the Proteas needed 10. Duminy ended India’s thin hopes with a six in the third ball and strolled the winning run in the fourth.
The flat track at the HPCA Stadium as well as dew made it difficult for the bowlers to contain the batsmen and it was the Proteas who had the last laugh.
Earlier after being put in to bat, Rohit was slow to start but once he had gauged the pace of the wicket he plundered runs at will and became only the second Indian to score a T20 international ton after Suresh Raina, who incidentally had also achieved the same feat against the South Africans.
Rohit was in sublime touch and effortlessly raised a 138–run partnership for the second wicket with skipper Virat Kohli (43, 27b, 1×4, 3×6). During the knock, Virat became the first Indian to cross the 1000-run mark in T20 internationals.
Rohit, who was timing the ball beautifully, completed his 100 with a breathtaking six off paceman Merchant de Lange over long-off. His fifty came off 40 balls and needed only 22 more balls to get to the three-figure mark.
Kyle Abbott stemmed the rot by dismissing Kohli first and then Rohit in the space of four deliveries. The Indian opener went for a pull but managed an edge which was taken by Chris Morris at long-leg. By that time, India were cruising with scorecard reading 162 in 16 overs.
India lost Raina (14) and Ambati Rayudu (0, run out) in the 19th over but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (20 not out) helped India get close to 200. He finished the innings in style, hammering Abbott for a six.
Scoreboard
India: R Sharma c Morris b Abbott 106, S Dhawan r o 3, V Kohli c Duminy b Abbott 43, S Raina lbw b Morris 14, M Dhoni n o 20, A Rayudu r o 0, A Patel n o 2, Extras: (LB-2, W-8, NB-1) 11, Total: (for five wickets) 199.
Fall: 1/22, 2/160, 3/162, 4/184, 5/184.
Bowling: K Abbott 4-0-29-2, K Rabada 4-0-32-0, M De Lange 4-0-47-0, C Morris 4-0-46-1, I Tahir 3-0-35-0, JP Duminy 1-0-8-0.
South Africa: H Amla r o 36, AB De Villiers b Ashwin 51, F Du Plessis b Aravind 4, JP Duminy n o 68, F Behardien n o 32, Extras: (LB-5, W-4) 9, Total: (for three wickets) 200
Fall: 1-77, 2-93, 3-95.
Bowling: B Kumar 4-0-40-0, S Aravind 3.4-0-44-1, M Sharma 4-0-40-0, A Patel 4-0-45-0, R Ashwin 4-0-26-1.