Kohli leads; India beat SA

India (Shar)made Cha(h)ar changes to their playing eleven – Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rahul made way for Rohit, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja.

South Africa (Bavu)made seven (Anri)changes to the eleven that (Da)last played the Indians – Jean-Paul Duminy, Heinrich Klaasen, Christiaan Jonker, Chris Morris, Farhaan Behardien, Aaron Phangiso and Junior made way for Quinton de Kock (who was leading the team), three Twenty20 (Fortu)International debutants (Temba, Bjorn and Nortje), Rassie van der Dussen, Dwaine Pretorius and Kagiso Rabada.

On winning the toss, Virat Kohli, India’s skipper and the player of the match, inserted the visitors.

The first Powerplay of South Africa’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was the first and the sixth over. They scored 39, for the loss of a wicket.

Reeza Hendricks, whose 11-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Twenty-three balls into the match, he was caught by Washington Sundar. Deepak Chahar broke the 31-run stand.

South Africa scored 50 off 7.5 overs (47 balls). India hadn’t conceded any extras at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 40 balls. While de Kock’s contribution to the partnership was 22, Bavuma’s contribution to it was 27. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

De Kock’s half-century – which included eight boundaries – came off 35 balls.

He eventually faced 37 balls, scoring 52. Forty-five balls after Hendricks’ dismissal, he was caught by Kohli. Navdeep Saini broke the 57-run partnership.

Van der Dussen, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. Five balls later, he was caught by Jadeja, who broke the two-run stand.

South Africa scored 100 off 13.3 overs (81 balls). India had conceded an extra at that point.

Bavuma, whose 43-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, eventually scored 49. Thirty balls after van der Dussen’s dismissal, he was caught by Jadeja. Deepak broke the 36-run stand.

David Miller, whose 15-ball innings included a six, scored 18. Half-a-dozen balls later, Hardik broke the three-run stand.

Pretorius, whose seven-ball innings included a six, was unbea‘ten’.

Andile Phehlukwayo, whose five-ball innings included a six, scored eight. He was unbeaten.

India eventually conceded five extras. South Africa scored 149 for the loss of five wickets off 20 overs.

Krunal Pandya had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he bowled a wicketless over. Sundar bowled three wicketless overs, conceding 19.

Saini bowled four overs, conceding 34. He picked up a wicket, as did Jadeja and Hardik, who bowled four overs each, conceding 31 apiece. Deepak bowled four overs, conceding 22. He picked up a couple of scalps.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was the first and the sixth over. They scored 47, for the loss of a wicket.

Sharma, who faced a dozen balls, scored as many. His runs came by way of sixes. Twenty-three balls into the chase, he was trapped leg before wicket by Phehlukwayo, who broke the 33-run stand.

Thirty-three balls into the chase, South Africa sought a bowling review. Kohli was the batsman. Using the umpire’s call, it was struck down by umpire Anil Chaudhary.

India scored 50 off 6.4 overs (40 balls). South Africa had conceded four extras at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 41 balls. While Shikhar Dhawan’s contribution to the partnership was 15, Kohli’s contribution to it was 32. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three.

Dhawan, whose 31-ball innings included four boundaries and a six, eventually scored 40. Forty-seven balls after Sharma’s dismissal, he was caught by Miller. Tabraiz broke the (Sham)sixty-one-run stand.

India scored 100 off 12.5 overs (77 balls). The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave South Africa no reason to be in seventh heaven. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Rishabh Pant, who faced five balls, scored four. A dozen balls after Dhawan’s dismissal, he was caught by Shamsi. Fortuin broke the 10-run stand.

Kohli’s half-century – which included three boundaries and a six – came off 40 balls.

Kohli eventually scored 72 off 52 balls, which included four boundaries and three sixes. He was unbeaten, as was Iyer, who scored 16. His 14-ball innings included two boundaries.

India scored 150 off 19 overs (114 balls). In fact, they scored 151 for the loss of three wickets, winning by seven wickets with an over to spare.

Nortje and Pretorius bowled three overs each, conceding 27 apiece. They were wicketless, as was Rabada, who bowled three overs, conceding 24.

Phehlukwayo and Shamsi bowled three overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 20, the latter conceded 19. Fortuin bowled four overs, conceding 32. He picked up a wicket.

India led the three-match series 1-0.