Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik
Hardik Pandya returned to his finisher avatar as he smashed a brilliant 31 off 12 deliveries to power India to a mammoth total of 211.
Even after being at his best with the bat, fans and Gujarat Titans coach, Ashish Nehra, aren't happy with Pandya. The reason is his refusal to take a single on the penultimate ball of India's innings to give strike to Dinesh Karthik.
The move drew a lot of flak online and Twitter wasn't really impressed with Pandy's antics. Ashish Nehra, in conversation with CricBuzz, said that Pandya should have taken the single since it was DK on strike and Nehra himself.
Here are some other reactions.
India vs South Africa 1st T20 Match Report
South Africa denied India their world-record win as the Proteas, powered by Miller and Dussen, took the attack to the Indian bowlers to beat the men in blue by 7 wickets.
SA won the toss and opted to bowl first. Batting first, Ruturaj and Ishan gave India a perfect start as they reached 51 runs for no loss after the Powerplay. Ishan Kishan returned to form and scored a blistering 76 off 48 deliveries.
Kishan looked scratchy at first but showed the much talked about 'intent' in Indian cricket and tried to hit almost every ball out of the park. He reached his fifty in 37 balls. All hell broke loose when Maharaj came in to bowl the 13th over as Kishan went after him, scored 20 runs, and got out in the last ball of the over.
Later in the innings, Pant, who scored 29 off 16, and Hardik Pandya, who scored 31 off 12, combined to power India to a monstrous total of 211 runs.
Chasing 212, South Africa lost Bavuma early. But that proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Proteas as Pretorius came in and smacked the bowlers all around to park to lift SA to 61 runs after the Powerplay.
After QDK and Pretorius went back, Rassie van der Dussen and Miller took the crease. Dussen looked very scratchy to begin with. Miller, on the other hand, was on fire from the word go and reached his fifty in just 22 balls.
But once Dussen got going, there was no looking back as the South African smashed the bowlers all over the park, scored a brilliant 75 off
46 deliveries, and took his side home.
What a chase this was for the Proteas. The stuff of dreams for South Africa. Nightmare for the Indians. A one that won't really let them sleep for a while.
