Virat returns; India beat SA

India made (Cha)half-a-dzoen changes to their playing (Pat)eleven – Lokesh Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj made way for Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli (who was leading the team), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (the player of the match), Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra.

South Africa made seven changes to the (Mork)eleven that (Am)last played the Indians – A B de Villiers, Hashim, Faf du Plessis, Albie, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott and Imran Tahir made way for Jon-Jon Smuts, Reeza Hendricks, a couple of Twenty20 International debutants (Heinrich Klaasen and Junior Dala), Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Peterson and Tabraiz Shamsi.

On winning the toss, Jean-Paul Duminy, South Africa’s skipper, inserted the visitors.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 78, and lost a couple of wickets.

Eleven balls into the (Shar)match, South Africa sought a bowling review. Rohit, the batsman, scored 21 off nine balls, which included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes. It was upheld by South African umpire Adrian Holdstock. He was caught by Klaasen. Dala broke the 23-run stand.

Although his innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, Raina, who scored 15, had no reason to be in seventh heaven – 13 balls later, he was caught by Dala, who broke the 26-run stand.

India scored 50 off 4.3 overs (27 balls). South Africa had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 25 balls. While Dhawan’s contribution to the partnership was 25, Kohli’s contribution to it was 23. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

India scored 100 off 8.2 overs (50 balls). South Africa had conceded four extras at that point.

Fifty-seven balls into the match, India sought a batting review. Kohli, the batsman, scored 26 off 20 balls, which included a couple of boundaries and a six. It was struck down by Holdstock. He was trapped leg before wicket by Shamsi, who broke the 59-run partnership.

Dhawan’s half-century – which included half-a-dozen boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 27 balls.

India scored 150 off 14.1 overs (85 balls). South Africa had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Dhawan, whose 39-ball innings included 10 boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 72. Thirty-one balls after Kohli’s dismissal, he was caught by Klaasen. Phehlukwayo broke the 47-run partnership.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose 11-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 16. Twenty-one balls later, Chris Morris broke the 28-run stand.

India scored 200 off 19.4 overs (118 balls). South Africa had conceded 11 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Manish Pandey, whose 27-ball innings included a six, scored 29. He was unbeaten, as was Hardik Pandya, who scored 13. His seven-ball innings included a couple of boundaries.

India scored 203 for the loss of five wickets off 20 overs. Smuts, who bowled a couple of overs, conceded 14. He was wicketless, as was Peterson, who bowled four overs, conceding 48.

Phehlukwayo, who bowled a couple of overs, conceded 16. He picked up a wicket, as did Morris and Shamsi, who bowled four overs apiece. While the former conceded 39, the latter conceded 37. Dala, who bowled four overs, conceded 47. He picked up a couple of scalps.

The first Powerplay of South Africa’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 41, and lost a couple of wickets.

Smuts, whose nine-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 14. Seventeen balls into the chase, he was caught by Dhawan. Kumar broke the 29-run stand.

Duminy had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored just three. Thirteen balls later, he was caught by Raina. Kumar broke the nine-run stand.

David Miller, whose five-ball innings included a six, scored nine. Eight balls later, he was caught by Dhawan. Pandya broke the 10-run stand.

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

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 32 balls. While Hendricks’ contribution to the partnership was 24, Farhaan Behardien’s contribution to it was 25. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

South Africa scored 100 off 11.5 overs (71 balls). India had conceded five extras at that point.

Behardien, whose 27-ball innings included three boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 39. Fifty-two balls after Miller’s dismissal, he was caught by Pandey. Chahal broke the 81-run partnership.

Hendricks’ half-century – which included five boundaries and a six – came off 37 balls.

South Africa scored 150 off 16.5 overs (101 balls). The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave India no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Hendricks, whose 50-ball innings included eight boundaries and a six, eventually scored 70. Thirteen balls after Behariden’s D(hon)ismissal, he was caught behind. Kumar broke the 25-run stand.

Klaasen, whose eight-ball innings included a boundary and a six, scored 16. Three balls later, he was caught by Raina. Kumar broke the four-run stand.

The seventh-wicket pair didn’t get off the (Ku)mark. Morris, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. The next ball, he was caught by Raina off the bowling of his statemate.

The eighth-wicket pair put a run. Peterson, who faced a ball, scored a run. The next ball, Pandya and Dhoni ran him out.

Phehlukwayo, whose eight-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 13. Ten balls later, he was caught by Chahal. Jaydev Unadkat broke the 16-run stand.

Dala, who faced three balls, scored two. He was unbeaten, as was Shamsi, who faced two balls, failing to get off the mark.

India eventually conceded eight extras. South Africa, who scored 175 for the loss of nine wickets off 20 overs, lost by 28 runs.

Each of the five bowlers bowled four overs apiece. Bumrah, who conceded 32, was wicketless. Pandya, Chahal and Unadkat picked up a wicket apiece. They conceded 45, 39, and 33, respectively. Kumar conceded 24, picking up five scalps.

India led the three-match series 1-0.