The India tour of South Africa 2024 kicked off with a four-match T20I series. In the first T20I, South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl.
Star opener Sanju Samson continued his impressive form, scoring a brilliant century. However, India struggled to maintain momentum after his dismissal, and the run rate dropped significantly. The lack of strong finishers in this match raised some concerns about India’s middle order.
On November 10, in the second T20I, Samson was dismissed for a duck, and India faced similar challenges. Each player tried to score aggressively, but no solid partnerships were established.
Axar Patel showed some promising form, connecting well with the ball, but was unfortunately run out at the non-striker’s end due to an unlucky deflection from Hardik Pandya’s straight drive off the bowler’s hand.
Credit is due to South Africa’s bowlers, who delivered a disciplined and effective attack throughout the match.
Hardik Pandya stayed at the crease until the last ball but couldn’t turn it into a big score. At the end of 20 overs, India posted 124/6, setting a target of 125 for South Africa. This will put pressure on the Indian bowlers to defend the total.
