IND vs SA 1st T20I: How Team India Lost The Match & Remained Shy Of Creating A World Record

South Africa defeated India by 7 wickets in the 1st T20I, chasing down a target of 212 runs in 19.1 overs.

In the opening T20I of the 5-match series between India and South Africa, team India were handed a defeat after being undefeated in 12 consecutive matches. Rishabh Pant was handed the captaincy of the national team for the first time after KL Rahul was ruled out due to injury. 

However, a number of other records were set in the high-scoring match at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Let's have a look at what went down in the match and how India lost their first T20I after 12 matches. 

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Disappointing performance by the spinners

Indian spinners, IPL 2022's Purple Cap Winner Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel, bowled 6.1 overs together and went for 66 runs, with an economy of a little over 10. While Axar Patel managed to get opener Quinton de Kock's wicket and went for 40 runs in 4 overs, Chahal bowled just 2.1 overs and went wicketless for 26 runs. 

Overall, all four spinners in the game together bowled 11.1 overs and conceded 136 runs - the fourth worst in all of the men's T20I where more than 10 overs were bowled by spin. 

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Partnership between David Miller & Rassie Van der Dussen

After South Africa lost their 3rd wicket in the 9th over for 81 while chasing a huge target, David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen etched an unbeaten partnership of 131 runs to take the away team to a win in the first T20I. This partnership was the fourth highest partnership for the 4th wicket or lower in men's T20I, and the best for South Africa. 

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Carnage in the last 10 overs

David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen changed gears towards the decisive half of the game and went on to score a stupendous 126 runs in the last 10 overs. This is a record for the most number of runs scored in the last 10 overs, beating the previous record held by Australia (125 runs) in 2010. 

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Shreyas Iyer's dropped catch

Shreyas Iyer dropped Rassie van der Dussen's catch in the 16th over, when the batter was at 29 runs off 30 deliveries. van der Dussen went on to smack 46 runs off 16 balls, finishing at 75 runs in 46 balls and took his team to victory. 

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Team India will take on South Africa in the 2nd T20I on June 12th (Sunday) at Cuttack, where the hosts will look to bounce back and level the 5-match T20I series.