South Africa were left reeling in Cuttack as they posted a paltry 74 against all odds, their lowest-ever total in T20 cricket. India took full advantage of the situation to secure a 101-run victory in the series opener.
Hardik Pandya was the star performer for India, smashing an unbeaten 59 off just 28 balls to propel his team to a comfortable total of 175/6 despite losing the toss. The all-rounder's aggressive batting was aided by four sixes and six fours, as he helped revive India from 78/4 in the 12th over.
South Africa's top order imploded under pressure, with the hosts collapsing from 45/3 to a mere 74 all out in 12.3 overs. The South African team struggled to find any rhythm, with each of their six bowlers getting at least one wicket.
Interestingly, this is not a new low for South Africa in T20 cricket, having posted 87 against India in 2022. However, the margin of defeat was much narrower in that match.
The five-match series serves as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup, which is set to take place in India in February. India had previously won the ODI series against South Africa by a margin of two wickets, while the Test series ended 2-0 in their favour.
In the post-match interview, Hardik Pandya attributed his success to good timing and gutsiness. "I had to back my shots," he said. "I realised the wicket had a bit of spice. I had to be a bit gutsy." Pandya was also pleased with the way he batted, stating that it was all about timing the ball rather than breaking it.
Hardik Pandya was the star performer for India, smashing an unbeaten 59 off just 28 balls to propel his team to a comfortable total of 175/6 despite losing the toss. The all-rounder's aggressive batting was aided by four sixes and six fours, as he helped revive India from 78/4 in the 12th over.
South Africa's top order imploded under pressure, with the hosts collapsing from 45/3 to a mere 74 all out in 12.3 overs. The South African team struggled to find any rhythm, with each of their six bowlers getting at least one wicket.
Interestingly, this is not a new low for South Africa in T20 cricket, having posted 87 against India in 2022. However, the margin of defeat was much narrower in that match.
The five-match series serves as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup, which is set to take place in India in February. India had previously won the ODI series against South Africa by a margin of two wickets, while the Test series ended 2-0 in their favour.
In the post-match interview, Hardik Pandya attributed his success to good timing and gutsiness. "I had to back my shots," he said. "I realised the wicket had a bit of spice. I had to be a bit gutsy." Pandya was also pleased with the way he batted, stating that it was all about timing the ball rather than breaking it.
74?! That's like, laughable! I mean, you can't just keep losing wickets at such a high rate and expect to chase down 175+... not on your life! 
I'm surprised they didn't collapse even faster considering the pressure. It was like they were trying to set a new record for most overs lost in a single game 
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. The way he smashed those sixes and fours is just incredible... I love how aggressive he was out there, it paid off big time for him and India 
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. i remember when south africa used to have some serious fire in their t20 games, now they're just getting destroyed like this 
. hardik pandya's batting was insane tho 
, he's like the new MS dhoni or something 
. anyway, hope south africa bounces back in the series, but for now... yeah 
and hardik pandya was on fire 
i feel bad for south africa's bowlers though, getting smashed by each other all over the place 
i mean, that's what you call gutsiness 
can't wait to see what the rest of the series has in store 
they just couldn't get back on track after 45/3 i know its tough to bounce back but they did try their best 
at least harik's performance is super inspiring, smashing 59 off just 28 balls must've been such a rush for him 
i feel like he was in the zone and totally focused 
and i'm loving the vibes of him saying it's all about good timing and gutsiness 
. That being said, India took full advantage of the situation and deservedly won. Hardik's form is insane, he's on fire 
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When you're up against someone who is good enough to make you look bad, that's not criticism - that's a compliment! 
The fact that Hardik Pandya's aggressive batting skills helped India secure a big win over South Africa shows just how talented he really is. The Indian team played some brilliant cricket and deserved their 101-run victory. 
. and India scores this huge total with Hardik Pandya just SMASHING it 
. but what if he got some help from the umpire or maybe one of his teammates was like "hey hardik can you just knock over these 6s and fours for us" 
or maybe it's just India trying to secure this series so they can prepare for the T20 World Cup? 
️ All six of them getting wickets is no consolation. India took advantage of their mistakes and ran with it, just like they did in the ODI series 
Poor lads, didn't get the support they needed from their top order. 
. The stats are pretty bleak, 87 against India in 2022 was bad enough, but this is way worse 
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I mean, come on! 74 against India? That's a joke! 
South Africa got absolutely smashed out of the park. And Hardik Pandya just destroyed them with his batting skills 
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