Avesh Khan finishes up the proceedings with his second wicket of the day as he cleans up Keshav Maharaj with a pacy full delivery. South Africa are out for 141. India take a 1-0 lead.
South Africa have finally lost their ninth wicket as the frustrating partnership between Gerald Coetzee and Keshav Maharaj has finally ended.
This is game now. Varun Chakravarthy gets both the big fishes Klaasen and Miller in one over. SA need 116 from 49
Varun Chakravarthy has struck immediately after being introduced into the attack. Ryan Rickelton after playing a couple of deliveries off him neatly, went to attack but handed straight to the fielder. South Africa are three down in the powerplay itself.
SA - 49/3 (6 overs)
Another big wicket. This time Avesh Khan strikes. He gets Tristan Stubbs for 11. He holes it out to mid-off as he tried to clear the field there. SA 30/2 after 3.3
South African skipper Markram came to open alongside Rickelton and has been dismissed in the first over itself. He hit Arshdeep for two boundaries but edges this one behind to Samson, who takes an easy grab. Stubbs is now in.
It was a disappoiinting finish for India with the bat as they visitors lost 35/6 as only 40 runs were scored in the last six overs. Sanju Samson helped India get a very good start as he went on to score a magnificent century but eventually India could get to just 202. South Africa will fancy their chances.
Gerald Coetzee is single-handedly ensuring that South Africa stays in the game! Another wicket for South Africa and India are losing the momentum.
First Indian to slam consecutive T20I century, joint-highest sixes in an innings by an Indian in T20I knock and fourth Indian to score more than one T20I hundred - Sanju Record Samson, indeed!
Hardik Pandya, India's former T20I captain has departed as India have lost two quick wickets. South Africa are slowly coming back into the match.
India - 185/5 (18 overs)
Nqaba Peter after being on the receiving end of Sanju Samson's blitzkrieg for the majority of the evening has finally gotten his man. India have lost the big wicket of Samson, who wasn't looking to keep it down. Rinku singh arrives now. Two new batters in the middle for India.
Sanju Samson has pretty much nailed down the wicketkeeper's spot in T20Is now with back-to-back centuries in the format for India. Samson continued from where he left off in Hyderabad and completed a magnificent 47-ball ton. India are well on course of a big score.
India have lost their captain Suryakumar Yadav as Patrick Kruger after a largely wayward over got the big fish. It was an 11-ball over and only 15 runs were scored by Kruger managed to finish it on a high and India have lost their second wicket.
wides, no-balls, wicket - an over that had everything from Patrick Kruger. It was an 11-ball over, one shy of the longest by a South African in T20Is (Sisanda Magala) but Kruger ultimately after conceding 15 runs, was able to get the big wicket of India skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
Two sixes and Sanju Samson has raced off to a 27-ball fifty. The renewed backing from the Surya-Gambhir and now Laxman-led team management is working wonderfully for the Kerala batter. Samson hasn't been afraid to play his shots and has been rewarded on a good wicket.
This is the Sanju Samson, we all know! That century against Bangladesh has done him a world of good. Samson doesn't have to worry about his place being in danger and was fearless taking on spinners and seamers with equal contempt. India have raced off to 56 in the first six overs despite losing a wicket.
Indian openers were starting to get going and Gerald Coetzee has struck on his first delivery. Abhishek Sharma wanted to loft Coetzee on the off side but mistimed his shot and Keshav Maharaj ran back to take a very good catch. India have lost their first wicket and another low score for Abhishek Sharma.
Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma will be keen for a good start. With the wind blowing and the pitch set to offer bounce to the pacers, the Indian batters would want to take a look at how the pitch is behaving for a couple of overs and then go for their shots.
Shaun Pollock was at the pitch report and reckoned that there might be a bit of moisture in the wicket. There was a decent amount of grass on the surface and the pace bowlers will get help at the start, especially with overcast conditions. The bowlers and the fielding team will have to be wary of the wind and its direction towards the short boundary, which is just 56 metres and would want to use wide yorkers to protect that boundary.
Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan
Playing XI: Ryan Rickelton(w), Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Patrick Kruger, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Nqabayomzi Peter
South African skipper Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to field. Markram reckoned that there has been some rain in the build-up to the game and wanted to use the moisture in the wicket, if there's any. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav wanted to bat any way, so both teams got what they wanted.
South Africa will be without Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje, two of their stars from the T20 World Cup campaign, but still have seven out of the 11 players in the line-up that played the final with the likes of Klaasen and David Miller back. In home conditions, despite a couple of new faces, South Africa start as favourites.
With most of the regulars are in or bound for Australia, the BCCI had to make some adjustments in the T20 squad that last played against Bangladesh. Hence, the likes of Ramandeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal have been handed maiden T20I call-ups with Axar Patel returning to the fold. A couple of debuts might be handed on the first day of the series itself.
It's T20 time baby! The T20 World Cup finalists India and South Africa are opposite each other in a four-match T20 series. The series may not have a lot riding on but in the middle of a massive Test season all around the world, these four matches on South African pitches just serve as a breather. Welcome to our live coverage of the 1st T20I from Kingsmead, Durban.
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