India vs South Africa, 1st ODI: India beat South Africa by 8 wickets in the first ODI
In the 1st ODI between India and South Africa at the Wanderers, Indian pace bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan dominated, securing an impressive eight-wicket victory for KL Rahul’s team. Avesh personal 4 wickets for 27 runs in 8 overs, while Arshdeep took an outstanding 5 wickets for 37 runs in 10 overs, restricting the Proteas to a meager 116 runs in 27.3 overs.
Chasing the target, Sai Sudharsan (55 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (52) played stellar innings, guiding India to victory in just 16.4 overs with the loss of two wickets.
Debut caps were handed to 22-year-old B Sai Sudharsan from India and bowling all-rounder Nandre Burger from South Africa. The Proteas, batting first, struggled to build momentum, losing wickets consistently. Arshdeep Singh’s five-wicket haul and Avesh Khan’s four wickets limited South Africa to 116 runs.
Arshdeep Singh made early breakthroughs, dismissing Hendricks and Dussen in the second over without opening their accounts. Despite a unenduring recovery, Arshdeep unfurled his spanking-new form, taking crucial wickets. Avesh Khan joined the party, dismissing Proteas skipper Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, David Miller, and Keshav Maharaj. Arshdeep Singh completed his five-wicket haul by sending Andile Phehlukwayo when via LBW in the 26th over, and Kuldeep Yadav sealed the Proteas’ innings in the 28th over.
For South Africa, Andile Phehlukwayo top-scored with 33 runs, followed by Tony de Zorzi with 28 runs. However, untied from these two, no other thrash crossed the 15-run mark.
In response, India faced an early setback as Ruturaj Gaikwad was dismissed by Wiaan Mulder for LBW, but debutant Sai Sudharsan’s impressive half-century and Arshdeep Singh’s historic five-wicket haul secured India’s well-appointed victory.
The victory marked a strong start for the young Indian team in the ODI series versus South Africa, towers on their success in the T20 international series. KL Rahul led the side in the sparsity of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
The series is crucial for India as it sees the return of key players like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Captain KL Rahul shared that Sanju Samson would play in the middle order, emphasizing his role at No. 5 or 6.
Notably, just surpassing the first ODI, Deepak Chahar withdrew from the series due to a family emergency, and Akash Deep was named as his replacement.
The victory in the 1st ODI widow to the excitement of the series, with India looking to build on this momentum in the upcoming matches versus South Africa.
