South African fast bowler Patrick Kruger bowled an unusually lengthy 11-ball over, ultimately dismissing Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav on the last ball during the first T20I in Durban on Friday. Kruger, struggling with his rhythm, bowled three wides and two no-balls in his opening over, conceding extra runs to India. However, his final delivery, a well-executed knuckleball, led Suryakumar to mistime his shot, sending the ball toward deep square leg where Andile Simelane completed the catch.
Despite the setback, India dominated the game, largely due to an explosive century from Sanju Samson. Known for his potential, Samson silenced critics with a blistering 107 off 50 balls, including 10 sixes, making him the first Indian to score back-to-back T20I centuries. His innings pushed India to a total of 202/8 in 20 overs, despite a modest 35 runs in the last five overs.
In reply, South Africa fell short as India’s spinners delivered match-winning spells. Varun Chakravarthy’s exceptional 3/25 in 4 overs changed the game in India’s favor. He dismissed Heinrich Klaasen (25 off 22) and David Miller (18 off 22) within three deliveries in the 12th over, effectively ending South Africa’s chase as they folded for 141 in 17.5 overs.
Ravi Bishnoi also contributed significantly with a stellar spell, taking 3/28 in his four overs. Notably, Bishnoi bowled five consecutive dot balls to Miller in the 11th over, creating mounting pressure that Varun then capitalized on. Together, the Varun-Bishnoi duo bowled 27 dot balls on a track favorable to batters, securing India’s commanding 61-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
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