Johannesburg: Seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took career-best figures of 5-24 to help India ease to a 28-run victory over South Africa in the opening Twenty20 International of their three-game series at the Wanderers on Sunday.
Having been sent in to bat, India plundered 203 for five from their 20 overs on a flat batting wicket as opener Shikhar Dhawan hit a superb 72 from 39 balls.
It is India’s highest innings total against South Africa in the shortest format of the game, with debutant seamer Junior Dala (2-47 in four overs) the most successful home bowler.
South Africa were in the game until Kumar’s final over when he picked up the key wicket of Reeza Hendricks (70 from 50 balls), and then dismissed Heinrich Klaasen (16) and Chris Morris (0) in successive balls, before Dane Paterson (1) was the fourth wicket to fall as he was run out.
The home side ended their innings on 175 for nine, continuing their struggles against the tourists in the limited overs matches on the tour having been thrashed 5-1 in the one-day international series.
South Africa were dealt a blow before the start of the match as their best batsman AB de Villiers was ruled out of the series with a knee injury.
The second Twenty20 clash will be played in Pretoria on Wednesday, with the final game on Saturday in Cape Town.
The Delhi left-hander Dhawan, who hit 323 runs in the six One-Day Internationals (ODIs), blasted 10 fours and two sixes in his 39-ball innings as others batted around him.
After home captain Jean-Paul Duminy put India into bat, India’s innings was lifted by a brisk 21 off nine from Rohit Sharma, who got out in the fifth delivery of the second over after edging to wicket-keeper Heinrich Klassen off debutant Junior Dala.
Dhawan’s show began after this as he got useful support from Suresh Raina (15 off 7) and Virat Kohli (26 off 20). Till the dismissal of Kohli, who was ruled LBW against spinner Tabraiz Shamsi in the third delivery of the 10th over, India had already scored 108.
Dhawan made the most of the ill-disciplined bowling from Chris Morris, Dala and Andile Phehlukwayo, who were allowing the 32-year-old to free his arms on the leg side.
A failed scoop attempt of a slower delivery from Phehlukwayo ended Dhawan’s innings as Klassen dived front to removed the danger.
Later, Manish Pandey (29 not out off 27), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (16) and Hardik Panya (13 not out) took India past the 200-run mark.
Brief Scores
India 203-5 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 72, Manish Pandey 29 not out; Junior Dala 2-47) beat South Africa 175-9 in 20 overs (Reeza Hendricks 70, Farhaan Behardien 39” Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5-24) by 28 runs.
