Cuttack, Dec 9 (IANS) Hardik Pandya’s all-round performance and cumulative efforts by the bowlers handed India a 101-run victory in the first T20I against South Africa here at the Barabati Stadium. With that, the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the five-game series to start their T20 World Cup 2-26 preparations in style.

Defending 176 runs, the Men in Blue got off to a dream start as Arshdeep Singh sent Quinton de Kock packing for a duck off just the second delivery of the innings. Tristan Stubbs looked to get going as soon as he walked into the field, but his stay was cut short by the Indian pacer, who added a second wicket to his kitty in the third over.

Markram and Dewald Brevis picked up the momentum quickly without letting the two early wickets affect the game, but a change in bowling, which saw Axar Patel come into the attack inside the powerplay, led to the Protea skipper falling for a run-a-ball 14.

Returning to bowl for India after a long gap, Hardik Pandya struck on the very first ball that he delivered and dismissed the dangerous David Miller to get his side another key breakthrough.

South Africa’s batting unit crumbled like a cookie as the Indian bowlers kept picking wickets at regular intervals. Though Marco Jansen provided a ray of hope in the middle by smoking a couple of sixes, Varun Chakaravarthy trapped him and bowled the all-rounder out as the visitors got into further trouble.

Bumrah was just one scalp shy of completing 100 T20I wickets and he achieved the feat by dismissing Dewald Brevis in the 11th over and doubled the celebrations by picking Keshav Maharaj’s wicket in the same over. The Proteas lost their ninth wicket soon, in the 12th over, when Anrich Nortje found his way back to the pavilion, courtesy of Axar.

Shivam Dube hit the final nail in the coffin as a fine catch by Abhishek Sharma led to Lutho Sipamla’s dismissal. As a result, South Africa were bowled out for their lowest ever score in a T20I, closing their innings with just 74 runs.

Speaking of the first innings, Shubman Gill’s much-awaited return was short-lived as Lungi Ngidi removed him in the opening over, and the pacer struck again to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav, leaving India unsettled early. Captain Suryakumar briefly counterattacked with a six and a four, including his signature ‘supla’ stroke, before falling to a mistimed shot.

Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma steadied the innings to take India to 40/2 at the end of the powerplay, but the opener’s dismissal to Lutho Sipamla halted the momentum. The middle overs dragged as Varma and Axar Patel struggled for fluency before the former perished scoring 26 off 32.

Axar offered support, but the innings truly hinged on Pandya’s commanding knock. The all-rounder struck six boundaries and four sixes, lifting India’s total with an assertive finish. Cameos from Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma added vital late runs in the closing stages.

On a pitch that turned even routine strokes into laboured efforts, Pandya produced an innings of uncommon quality. With the surface gripping and the ball refusing to come on, India’s top order found fluency hard to locate; both Tilak Varma and Axar Patel promised more than they ultimately delivered. South Africa tightened the screws through Lungi Ngidi’s triple strike and Marco Jansen’s miserly overs, picking off batters just as partnerships seemed to settle.

Amid that struggle, Pandya appeared almost untouched by the conditions. He shifted gears with clarity and confidence, seizing the initiative and swinging the contest back into balance. His knock has kept India firmly in the hunt despite everything the pitch and the South African bowlers threw at them.

With India now one up in the series, the two sides will face off for the second T20I on Thursday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Brief Scores: India 175/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 59*, Tilak Varma 26; Lungi Ngidi 3-31, Lutho Sipamla 2-38) beat South Africa (Dewald Brevis 22, Tristan Stubbs 14; Axar Patel 2-7, Arshdeep Singh 2-14) by 101 runs.

–IANS

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