Twitter reactions and turning point: SA beat India in the 1st T20I at Dharamsala
Twitter reactions and turning point: SA beat India in the 1st T20I at Dharamsala
The most anticipated game finally got underway of Friday and after a see-saw ride for over three-of-half-hours, it was JP Duminy, who sealed the match for South Africa with a brilliant 68 not out from 34-balls.
Winning the toss and electing to field first, it was a Rohit Sharma-show in the first half. He went on to be only the second Indian to score a Twenty20 International (T20I) hundred. Rohit’s 106 from 66 consisted 12 fours and 5 sixes. Vice-captain Virat Kohli (43 from 27) and Rohit added 138 from 74-balls for the second wicket as India reached to 199 for 5 in 20 overs.
A chase of 200 was never going to be an easy one but AB de Villiers gave them the start they needed. His 51 from 32 at the top set up the game, which JP Duminy finished it with two balls to spare.
Turning point: With 62 needed from 28-balls, the match seemed to be in India’s clutches. Axar Patel had done a decent job till then, having given away 23 from his three overs. However the 16th over changed the course. Duminy struck three consective sixes to Patel, picking 22 from his last over. Things could have still been different had umpire Vineet Kulkarni ruled Duminy out leg before to Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 17th over — when he didn’t give ‘out’ to an appeal that looked plumb.
Duminy weaved in a partnership of 105 for the fourth wicket with Farhan Behardien as they cruised to a seven-wicket victory.
Brief scores: India 199 for 5 in 20 overs [Rohit Sharma 106 (66), Virat Kohli 43 (27); Kyle Abbott 4-0-29-2] lost to South Africa 200 for 3 in 19.4 overs [Hashim Amla 36 (24), AB de Villiers 51 (32), JP Duminy 68 (34)*, Farhan Behardien 32 (23)*; R Ashwin 4-0-26-1] — by 7 wickets.
We present you with the Twitter reactions for India’s loss: