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Proteas crumble in crushing defeat

football09 December 2025 16:57| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Hardik Pandya’s brilliant half century rescued India from a top order slump to post a total 175-6 before the bowlers tore through the run-chase to dismiss South Africa for just 74 in 12.3 overs to win by an eye-watering margin of 101-runs in the first of five T20 Internationals at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday.

It was South Africa’s lowest ever total in a T20 International with a highest score of just 22 from Dewald Brevis while all six bowlers used by India claimed at least one wicket. 

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South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi (4-0-31-3) had opener Shubman Gill (4) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (12) caught at mid off and mid on respectively miscuing drives on a pitch with surprising pace and bounce as India’s innings stuttered to 78-4 in the 12th over to give the tourists hope.

But Pandya profoundly changed the course of the contest.

The run chase was an immediate horror-show as the Proteas crashed to 50-5 inside the first eight overs starting when Quinton de Kock edged the second ball, a fine away-swinger from Arshdeep Singh (2-14), to second slip.

Tristan Stubbs (14) inside-edged Arshdeep to ‘keeper Jitesh Sharma, Aiden Markram (14) was bowled by Axar Patel’s signature quicker ball and David Miller’s return to the national side was brief as Hardik induced and edge to Jitesh third ball.

Donovan Ferreira (5) was flummoxed by legspinner Varun Chakravarty’s googly and Marco Jansen (12) had no answer to the same delivery from the same bowler.

Brevis whacked a trio of fours and a six in his bright but brief 22 from 14 balls but when he top edged a heave against Jasprit Bumrah (2-17) high into the sky South Africa were 68-7 and India wasted no time in picking off what flesh there remained on the carcass of the South African innings.

HARDIK INDIA'S HERO

Earlier Hardik struck two legside sixes against Keshav Maharaj (2-0-25-0) in the 13th over saw 16 runs added to the total and another 17 runs came from the 15th bowled by Anrich Nortje in his first game for the Proteas in 17 months.

Pandya hammered 18 from Lutho Sipamla’s final over to ruin his hitherto respectable figures of 3-0-20-2 and the final over of the innings from Nortje (4-0-41-0) went for a dozen with Pandya finishing with six fours and four sixes in his brutal 59* from just 28 balls.

Marco Jansen bowled with wonderful control to concede just 23 from his four overs and also held two fine catches on the fine-leg boundary to dismiss Tilak Varma (26) and opener Abhishek Sharma (17).

Captain Aiden Markram’s brave decision to bowl offspinner Ferreira (2-0-13-1) in the 18th over appeared to pay dividends when he clean bowled Shivam Dube (11) with his first ball, but Pandya cleverly manipulated the strike to give the home side a highly competitive total.

The home side started the series as strong favourites with a settled and in-form team which had won 26 and lost just four matches since the two countries met in the last T20 World Cup final in Barbados 17 months ago.

South Africa have used over 30 players in the format during that time and have won nine matches and lost 16, including a one-off fixture against Namibia.

The second match of the five-match series takes place in Chandigarh on Thursday.

INDIA: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wkt), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wkt), Aiden Markram (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje

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