India vs South Africa 1st ODI Highlights: Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 86 in vain as India lose to SA by 9 runs in rain-truncated game | Cricket News

LUCKNOW: Sub-par death bowling coupled with ordinary pitch and stick except for Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyerhurt a second-tier Indian side as they crumbled to a nine-point loss to South Africa in the rain-truncated first ODI of the three-game series here on Thursday.
Opting to bowl in the wet match at 40-1, India started on the right note as they put down South Africa 110-for-4 in 22.4 overs before David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen hit an eventful half-century to guide South Africa to 249 for 4.
Dashboard | How it happened
Down to 110 for four, Miller (75 off 63) and Klaasen (74 off 65) added 139 runs for the fifth unbroken wicket to bring the visitors close to the 250 run mark.
Shardul Thakur was the bowlers’ choice for India with figures of 2/35 from eight overs.
Indian bowlers struggled in the death overs, conceding 54 runs in the final five overs.
If that wasn’t enough, the Indian defenders lost up to four catches in the outfield to help South Africa’s cause.

Chasing a stiff target of 250, Samson (86 off 63 balls) and Iyer (50 off 37 balls) hit the 50s, while Shardul Thakur (33 off 31 balls) used the long grip to good effect towards the end but it wasn’t enough in the end.
India suffered a disastrous start to the race, losing both Shubman Gill (3) and skipper Shikhar Dhawan (4) cheaply to be reduced to 8 for 2 in six overs.
As Kagiso Rabada cleaned up Gill in the third, Dhawan scored one inside his stumps after a Wayne Parnell delivery in the sixth.
Ishan Kishan and debutant Ruturaj Gaikwad then attempted to stabilize the innings with a 48-run partnership for the third wicket before the latter was blocked by Quinton de Kock from Tabraiz Shamsi’s bowling as India collapsed to 48 for 3 in 16.4 overs.

On the reserves for the T20 World Cup squad, Iyer helped his cause with a 50 from 37 balls and, along with Sanju Samson, shared 67 runs for the fifth wicket to keep India in the chase.
Iyer decorated his innings with eight hits at the fence before handing a single catch to Rabada halfway bowling Lungi Ngidi.
But Samson and Thakur kept India in the chase with a 93-run attacking partnership from just 64 balls for the sixth wicket.
With India needing 45 from the final three overs, Ngidi struck twice, sending Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav down in successive balls to give South Africa the upper hand.
Needing 30 on the last, Samson gave his best, breaking a six and three fours but to no avail.
Earlier sent to bat, South Africa got off to a relatively slow start, reaching 41 unbeaten after 10 overs.
Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan’s decision to bowl has been vindicated by new bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan.
Siraj, in particular, was brilliant as he swung the ball back and forth to disturb Proteas’ hitters at the start, but with no chances.
Dhawan introduced Shardul Thakur in the ninth and within two balls the point guard gave his team the first chance, inducing a Janneman Malan advantage but Shubman Gill dropped a keeper at the first slip.
But Shardul got his man four overs later as Malan sent one straight to Shreyas Iyer at midwicket court.
Leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi was taken to task by South African skipper Temba Bavuma (8) as he conceded 31 runs from his first three overs.
Bavuma, who was struggling for runs in the previous T20I series, reversed and led Bishnoi over two limits in 14th.
But Bavuma’s short, offensive innings were cut short by Thakur, who ran through his defense as the batter posted another single-digit score on the tour.
Kuldeep Yadav quickly gave India another breakthrough, clearing Aiden Markram for a duck with a strong leg spin.
Quinton de Kock went about his business quietly and held an end together before perishing in 23rd place.
De Kock scored 48 from 54 with five boundary assists before being trapped in front of the wicket by Bishnoi as South Africa collapsed to 110 for 4 in the 23rd.
Two overs later, Miller effortlessly hit the visitors’ first six innings, directly beyond Bishnoi’s bowling long limit.
Miller and Klaasen then took the attack to the opposition. Miller played reasonably and sent strays to the boundary to record his 18th half on 50 balls using four boundaries and a hit over the fence.
Klaasen quickly followed suit and recorded his fourth ODI fifty on 52 balls.
The bowling death continued to haunt India as Miller and Klaasen reminisced about their century-old partnership in just 84 balls.
To add to that, India lost up to four catches, displaying poor outfield standards.