Highlights, 1st T20I: India beat South Africa by 28 runs to take 1-0 lead in 3-match series

India (203/5) beat South Africa (175/9) by 28 runs to take 1-0 lead in three-match series. Bhuvneshwar 5/24, Hendricks 70.

OUT! Unadkat removes Phehlukwayo for 13 runs. South Africa 175/9, need 29 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg.

FOUR! Something for the relief in the dying minutes. A boundary to begin the final over. Very full on off, Phehlukwayo tries to dig it out but gets an edge down to third man.​

OUT! It's a team Hat-trick for India! Dane Paterson run-out for 0. South Africa are falling like nine pins here. Paterson cuts it towards Pandya at backward point who halfstops it. The pair look for the single and in the interim, Hardik recovers in time and returns a throw to Dhoni who takes the bails off. It's not even taken upstairs. End of an eventful-match-winning over. South Africa 159/8 in 18 overs, need 45 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Chris Morris, OUT! And it's a FIVE-FER for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. His maiden in this format. What a performance! Another delivery on the stumps, Morris comes and doesn't waist anytime. Smacks it down the ground towards Raina at long on. He manages to hold onto as he catches it near the fingertips.

OUT! Bhuvneshwar removes Klaasen for 16 runs. OUT! Another one bites the dust! Career-best figures for Bhuvi now. Fuller ball, on the stumps, Klaasen clears the front leg and lofts it down the ground. Didn't get any meat behind the shot and it's a simple catch to Raina at long on. Can Kumar pick up a 5-fer?​ South Africa 158/6, need 46 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg.

OUT! Bhuvneshwar removes Hendricks for 70 runs. Got him. Bhuvi picks up his third and that certainly should be the final nail in the coffin? Slower delivery, around middle and off, Hendricks looks to slog it across the line but gets a thick top edge. It goes straight up in the air and Dhoni calls for it. Settles nicely under it to send the South African opener back.​ South Africa 154/5, need 50 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg.

FOUR! Klaasen shows some class with this shot. More runs! The crowd loves it. 15 have come from this over and South Africa need another 50 to win. Slower delivery outside off, Klaasen goes hard at it. Gets an edge which goes over short third man and trickles away to the fence.​ SA 154/4, need 50 runs in 18 balls.

FOUR! Klaasen joins in! SA 139/4, need 65 runs. Right through the gap. Really played that well. Reeza makes room to a fuller delivery and opens the face of the bat to get it between the gap at backward point and short third man. A boundary results!​

FOUR! Hendricks takes the control of the match. Up and over! Hendricks is keeping them in the hunt! Gets underneath a fuller ball and lofts it over mid off for a boundary.

OUT! Chahal removes Behardien for 39 runs. Chahal strikes on the last ball of the over! He breaks the stand that was blooming. Is that the game for India? We shall find out. Floated delivery on the stumps, Behardien dances down the track to go big but is done in the flight. Mistimes his lofted shot to long on where Manish Pandey comes a few yards him to take it and put an end to the 81-run association. The hosts need to score 5 more than 70 in 30 balls. South Africa 129/4, need 75 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg.

SIX! Welcome Bumrah, says Farhaan! Jasprit starts the spell with a fuller delivery veering on the pads, Behardien moves across and dumps it beautifully over deep square leg for a maximum to start the over.

FIFTY! Reeza Hendricks hits maiden T20I half-ton off 37 balls. Jaydev Unadkat to Reeza Hendricks, Maiden T20I fifty for Reeza Hendricks! He has fought well. Can he start to fire now? Ball - Tucks the length delivery in front of square on the leg side and scampers across for a brace.​ South Africa 112/3, need 92 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg. 

100 comes up for South Africa! More runs! Yuzi is taken for runs today! Flatter delivery outside off, turning away, Reeza goes back and slaps it through cover-point to find the fence. 14 already from the over. Can he finish well?​

FOUR! Behardien brings up aggressive approach, beats the man at backward point! Tossed up delivery outside off, Farhaan gets into the position early and reverse sweeps it past Unadkat at backward point to pick up another boundary.

FOUR! Clean and crisp! Some runs here for South Africa! Hendricks gets a freebie on the pads, he walks across and flick-pulls it over square leg for a boundary to end the over. 115 needed off 54 balls. SA 89/3 in 11 overs.

SIX! What a footwork! Commendable! BAM! Nice, clean shot. Tossed up delivery around off, Behardien charges down the track and hits it straight over the bowler's head for a maximum.

SA gets a bonus boundary, 68/3 after 8.5 overs. Misses the yorker, does Hardik. Behardien doesn't miss out through. It turns out to be a low full toss on the pads, Behardien gets some bat on that one. The ball races away towards fine leg. Unadkat rushes to his right from deep square leg and puts the dive but is unable to stop that.

FOUR! Hendricks continues SA's resistance in the 204 chase. Nicely played. Short and outside off, Hendricks stands back and cuts it over backward point for a boundary.​

Fifty up for SA. Hendricks (20*) leads the hosts' charge. Hardik Pandya to Farhaan Behardien, 1 run. Behardien plays it with an angled bat and guides it to third man. They pick up a single. He gets off the mark.​

OUT! Pandya removes Miller for 9 runs. Another one bites the dust! Miller's short stay at the crease comes to the end. He looks to take the aerial route yet again. This is a fuller ball from Pandya at a slower pace. David lofts it over mid on. Dhawan backtracks from there and hangs on to this one comfortably. These aren't easy ones to take but Shikhar has done well. South Africa's troubles mount. South Africa 48/3, need 156 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg.

OUT! Bhuvneshwar removes Duminy for 3 runs. Don't know if Raina's innings with the bat justified his comeback, but this catch certainly shows why he was and still is regarded one of the best fielders India have. This is bowled full on middle and leg, Duminy was unable to find the gaps and hence decides to take the aerial route. He flick-chips it in the air towards square leg. Raina runs back there from inside the circle even as Chahal runs in from the deep. The calling was clear enough for the former to pouch that with ease. The elation on his face after catching that is justified. South Africa lose two inside the first five overs. South Africa 38/2, need 166 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg.

OUT! Bhuvneshwar removes Smuts for 14 runs. South Africa 29/1, need 175 runs vs India (203/5) in Johannesburg.

SIX! What a timing! Hendricks displays some beauty here.

13 runs from the over. Jon-Jon Smuts gets two consecutive fours from the over. Third boundary of the over, the best of the lot. Overpitched outside off, Smuts clears his front leg and drives it through the gap between mid off and covers for a boundary. 14 runs off this over.​ SA 20/2, need 184 runs to win.

Jaydev Unadkat, who was sold to Rajasthan Royals for whopping 11.5 crore recently in the IPL Auction, to steam in from the other end. No slips for him, though a ring stands in guard on the off side.

FOUR! Smuts starts the proceedings with a classic boundary. South Africa and Smuts are off in a flash! Hurled on a length outside off, Jon-Jon stands back and punches it through point. Pandey dives to his right from backward point but can do nothing to prevent the ball from racing away to the fence.​

Welcome back. 204 will be the figure the Proteas will be after. Jon-Jon Smuts and Reeza Hendricks are the openers for South Africa. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will start with the ball first up. One slip in place.

THIS IS IT! Dhawan's fifty powers India to 203/5. Dane Paterson to Hardik Pandya, 1 run. Excellent over from Paterson. He has just conceded 9 off this one. Yorkers fired in with pinpoint accuracy. Pandya only manages to dig it out through backward square leg for a single. 204 IS SOUTH AFRICA'S TARGET!

Pandya slams two consecutive fours here. Mr. Sher, our colleague here, just asked as to why Pandya wasn't sent ahead of Dhoni today. This delivery adds weight to that question. Very low full toss on the pads, Pandya clips it past short fine leg and gets a boundary.​

OUT! Morris removes Dhoni for 16 runs. Castled! Morris gets the better of his ex-Chennai skipper. Dhoni walks across to flick this one through the on side to target the short boundary. Seeing this Morris spears in a full ball on leg. MS fails to get bat to that and the ball hits the leg stump very low. That's all that Chris and South Africa require. India 183/5 in 18.1 overs vs South Africa in Johannesburg.

After Dhawan scores his 4th T20I fifty, former India batsman Aakash Chopra hails him, saying: "Strike-Rate was Dhawan's only criticism in T20Is...he's addressed it quite nicely in this innings. Shikhar Befikar."

With 16 overs gone, IND are 164/4. Tabraiz Shamsi to Manish Pandey, no run. Flatter delivery on a length just outside off. Pandey hangs his bat to guide it towards short third man. Wanted a run but is sent back by Dhoni.

MS Dhoni walks in at number 6 for India, replacing Dhawan.

OUT! Phehlukwayo removes Dhawan for 72 runs. Dhawan throws it away! Not a great shot to be honest but credit to the bowler as well. Dhawan gets down early to play the paddle sweep. Spotting this Phehlukwayo delivers a back of the hand slower ball around leg. Dhawan continues with his shot and all he manages is to offer a catch to Klaasen. He dives forward and pouches it safely. India 155/4 in 14.4 overs vs South Africa in Johannesburg. Can this be the opening for South Africa?​​

FOUR! Dhawan finds the gap once again. There are only fours and sixes today, quips Harsha Bhogle on air, looking at the 16 fours and 7 sixes on show so far. This is short but on the stumps. Dhawan is standing outside the line of leg stump and hence the room that is needed is already available for him. Thrashes it through point and gets a boundary. IND 155/3 14.3 overs.

After 13 overs, IND are 138/3 with Dhawan leading the charge. Andile Phehlukwayo to Manish Pandey, 1 run. Back of a length ball angling in, Pandey hangs back and ramps it towards third man for one.​

Tabraiz Shamsi to Manish Pandey, NOT OUT! UMPIRE'S CALL SAVES PANDEY! This one is floated around middle, Pandey fails to read the spin in and misses to get bat. Gets hit on the front pad and that's enough for Shamsi to run in celebration.​

Another one for Shamsi? Looks to be so. An appeal for LBW against Pandey is ruled not out. But the Proteas have a chat and signal for the DRS. Doesn't look as close as the Kohli one.

FIFTY! Shikhar Dhawan hits 4th T20I half-ton off 27 balls. He has been confident today and has been middling the shots well and does so yet again. Goes back to this short one and pulls it over mid-wicket for a one-bounce boundary.​ India 127/3 in 11.3 overs vs South Africa in Johannesburg.

SIX! Manish Pandey stretches his muscles. Risky shot, pays off this time. Tossed up outside off, Pandey takes him on and lofts it over long off. Just clears a leaping Reeza Hendricks at that position and gets a maximum. Reeza might just be wishing he'd been a couple of foot taller.

WICKET! Kohli departs for 26 runs. Kohli walks back taking the review! Looked out to the naked eye and he fails to make his dropped chance count. More than anyone, Farhaan Behardien will breathe a sigh of relief! Tabraiz sends it quicker through the air, it lands it around middle and it turns in to ping Kohli on the back pad right in front of the stumps. He keeps appealing and finally gets a positive nod from the umpire. He starts to run with his arms aloft but Kohli challenges the decision. Hawk-Eye shows it's pitched in line and would have clipped the stumps. Big wicket for South Africa, can they put a lid on the scoring rate?

REVIEW! The on-field umpire has given Kohli out. Is he? A huge, huge appeal and the umpire rules Kohli out after a long thought. Looks a dead duck does Virat, he however, takes the DRS.

Dhawan and Kohli put 50-run partnership off 27 balls! JJ Smuts to Shikhar Dhawan, 1 run. 50-run stand is up between the two and also the 100 is raised for India! Shortish around off, Dhawan hits it wide of long on. The man in the deep fumbles but they don't take another.

FOUR! And it rounds off the powerplay! 78 runs from the Powerplay! This is some start for the Indians! Shortish ball with a lot of room on offer, Dhawan slaps it through point to move into the 30s. 18 have come from this over.​ IND 78/2 in 6 overs.

Two consecutive fours conclude Chris Morris' expensive over. FOUR! Another edge and it goes past the keeper. Dhawan is riding some luck at the moment! Another short ball down the leg side, Dhawan looks to play the natural pull but gets it off the gloves past the keeper for back-to-back boundaries. IND 60/2 in 5 overs.

OUT! Dala removes Raina for 15 runs. Top edge and it's wicket no. 2 for Dala! He is roaring in delight! Bowls a length delivery outside off, Raina looks to swipe it across the line but gets a big top edge which balloons high up in the air. Junior Dala calls for it and takes it comfortably. Not a good show on your comeback. India 49/2 in 4 overs vs South Africa in Johannesburg.

FOUR! Raina delights with some classic shots. Good shot! Raina makes room, Dala fires it full outside off, Suresh crouches low, opens the bat face and lifts it over backward point to find the fence.​

RAINA DROPPED after scoring a six. Bliss! Dane Paterson to Suresh Raina, FOUR! In the air... dropped! A tough chance but hello? What is Raina upto? He just got a biggie and tries to get some more. Dances down the track to a length ball and looks to go big. Gets a top edge and it goes high up in the air over mid off. Behardien runs backward, stretches both his arms to take it but fails to hold on. The ball bursts out of his hands and trickles away to the fence. IND 37/1 in 3 overs. 

SIX! Rohit strikes a HIGH and HANDSOME six on his comeback. Typical Raina shot! Back of a length delivery, following the batsman, Raina stays leg side and pulls it over mid-wicket. Doesn't seem to have middled it but had got enough to clear the fence.

OUT! Dala removes Rohit for 21 runs. The on-field call is overturned! Maiden wicket for Dala and look at the excitement. Simply superb! He digs in a short ball, gets it to bounce a touch extra. Rohit backs away to play it towards third man with his bat skyward but seems to have gotten an edge en route Klaasen. South Africa put in a huge appeal but the umpire shakes his head. Henirich is confident and he convinces his skipper to take the review. Replays roll in and there is a spike on the Ultra Edge. That is it then. India 23/1 in 1.5 overs vs South Africa in Johannesburg.

REVIEW! SA are confident. Is Rohit Out?

Brilliant start by India. IND 18/1 after 1st over. Up and over! Rohit Sharma moves to 17 in just 5 balls! Another short ball, served outside off, slapped over backward point for a one-bounce boundary. Paterson goes for 20 in the first over of the match.​

ANOTHER SIX! A great start by India, ensures Rohit Sharma. Boom! This is turning out to be a huge over! Short ball, doesn't have enough venom behind it. Sharma pulls it neatly and sends it soaring over the fine leg fence for the second maximum of the over.

Rohit Sharma starts with a SIX! Crashed it! Rohit Sharma is up and running! Receives a short ball, wider outside off, he stands put and throws the kitchen sink at it. Gets it over backward point and it sails over the rope. Quick hands! India are away as well.

For India, Dhawan and Rohit are on the crease. Dane Paterson will start off with the bowling proceedings. He has two slips in place. ​

India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (C), Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

South Africa Playing XI: JJ Smuts, Reeza Hendricks, Jean-Paul Duminy (c), Farhaan Behardien, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Paterson, Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi

"This is a gun wicket, it's hard, even grass cover on it so should play well throughout. Suresh Raina is back in the team, Manish Pandey, Unadkat is playing in place of Kuldeep who hurt his thumb in the last game, Bhuvi return. The intensity needs to be much higher in the T20 format. The mood is great in the dressing room. We are looking forward to doing well. The guys are very relaxed," Kohli says at the toss.

"It is easier to chase in a day game. It's difficult to defend in the Highveld. AB de Villiers is not playing today. He hurt his knee in the last game, so we want to rest him. Klaasen, Junior Dala are making their debuts," Duminy says after winning the toss.

TOSS! South Africa win toss, opt to bowl against India in the first game of the three-match T20I series

Former India opener Virender Sehwag has an advice for the Indian captain Virat Kohli ahead of the series-opener. He mentioned a few flaws in India's middle-order and advised Kohli to play wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni up the order in the limited-over cricket. (Read full story)

Meanwhile, South Africa women cricket team defeated India by five wickets in the 3rd T20I to stay alive in the five-match series.

Overjoyed with India's maiden bilateral ODI series win in South Africa, former India opener Virender Sehwag said India captain Virat Kohli may break batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries, provided he continues to enjoy his game. "Earlier, people used to say that there can't be another player like Sachin. The same can be said for Kohli now. In his career, he'll definitely break some of the records set by Sachin. "He can break Sachin's record of 100 international tons," Sehwag told India TV during the show 'Cricket Ki Baat'. (Read full story)

Bygone middle-order batsman Suresh Raina gears up for a comeback.

Teams:

India squad: Virat Kohli (C) Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur

South Africa squad: JP Duminy (C), Farhaan Behardien, Junior Dala, AB de Villiers, Reeza Hendricks, Christiaan Jonker, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Chris Morris, Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts

Motivated by their maiden ODI series win in South Africa, Virat Kohli-led India will aim for a positive start in the three-match T20I series, starting with the opening match at the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on Sunday. In 2006, India, under the captaincy of Virender Sehwag, won one-off T20I series against South Africa on their home soil. Bolstered by terrific all-round performances led by skipper Kohli, who was adjudged the Man of the Series in the recently concluded ODI series, India will hope to thrash the hosts in the three-match series. (Read full preview)