Brief scorecard: South Africa 249/4 (David Miller 75*, Heinrich Klaasen 74*; Shardul Thakur 2/35) beat India 240/8 (Sanju Samson 86*, Shreyas Iyer 50; Lungi Ngidi 3/52, Kagiso Rabada 2/36) by 9 runs

Statistical highlights of India vs South Africa 1st ODI 2022

• An Indian side bereft of its usual protagonists lost the opening ODI against South Africa by nine runs at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
• Sanju Samson’s highest ODI score, a 63-ball 86*, was among the few bright spots for the home team in the rain-hit contest that was reduced to 40 overs-a-side after a delayed start to proceedings.
• The loss is India’s 50th in ODIs against South Africa.
• The Proteas posted 249 for four after India captain Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and chose to field first in overcast conditions and amid the possibility of more reduction in overs and DLS regulations kicking in.
• An unbroken 139-run fifth-wicket stand between David Miller (75*) and Heinrich Klaasen (74*) underpinned South Africa’s innings, with Shardul Thakur the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 8-1-35-2.
• Chasing 250 for victory, India lost captain Dhawan and Shubman Gill, who blossomed as an opening pair in the West Indies earlier this year, early.
• Ishan Kishan and debutant Ruturaj Gaikwad were stymied from playing their natural game by Keshav Maharaj, who got the ball to grip and spin sharply under lights. The string of dot balls and the pressure of the mounting required run rate caused the downfall of Kishan and Gaikwad.
• Just as South Africa threatened to put the contest to bed, a counter-attacking fifty from Shreyas Iyer (50) in the company of Samson rallied India. Iyer fell soon after reaching his half-century and with India’s lower order shorn of batting firepower, with the exception of Thakur at No. 7, Samson forged a lone battle that ultimately ended in a losing cause.
• Earlier, Gaikwad and Ravi Bishnoi were handed their ODI debuts, becoming the 245th and 246th players to feature in the 50-overs format for India.
• The loss is India’s second under Dhawan’s captaincy.

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