Ind vs SA, 1st ODI, 2022-23: Klaasen-Miller 139* stand, Rabada-Ngidi 5 scalps dent Ind; SA lead 1-0

India vs South Africa, 1st ODI, Top Performances: Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller's 139-run stand, Kagiso Rabada's 2-36, Lungi Ngidi's 3-52 and Sanju Samson's 86 are top performances. South Africa beat India by 9 runs in 1st ODI, Lucknow.

Klaasen-Miller put up 139-run stand for 5th wicket against India (Photo: ©BCCI)

Brief Scores: South Africa 249/4 (Miller 75*, Klaasen 74*, Thakur 2/35) beat India 240/8 (Samson 86*, Iyer 50, Ngidi 3/52) by 9 runs

Player of the Match: Heinrich Klaasen (74* in 65 balls)

Fresh from their maiden T20I series victory over South Africa, India under Shikhar Dhawan locked horns with the Proteas in the first of the three-match One Day International (ODI) series at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday.

In the silent background of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, South Africa were looking for some super league points to earn an automatic chance in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

After several spells of rain, the game was shortened to 40 overs a side as India captain Shikhar Dhawan on winning the toss opted to bowl first on a pitch that had a bit of moisture being under the covers. Heinrich Klaasen and Janneman Malan returned to the Protea side while Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravi Bishnoi made their ODI debut.

Iyer & Samson present their class in losing affair

When Shreyas Iyer walked out in the middle, India were struggling at 48/3 in the 17th over before Sanju Samson joined him in the 18th over. Iyer from the very first ball showed intent and played some sensible shots against the spinners on a slow deck. He made his way to a 37-ball half century with eight deliveries which would increase his belief before the T20 World Cup where he is in the reserves.

Sanju Samson too with his 63-ball 86* provided India some good headaches before they form their probable side for the 2023 ODI World Cup set to be held in India. The calmness and self-belief that Samson displayed in his knock was supreme to watch.

South Africa held their nerves to earn a narrow and exciting victory

Put in to bat first, South Africa began decently with a 49-run opening partnership before being pulled back by India to 71/3; they further slipped to 110/4 with the wicket of set batter Quinton de Kock. The slowness of the pitch was making run scoring a tough job but the unbeaten fourth wicket partnership of 139 between David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen propelled them to 249/4 at the end of their allotted 40 overs. India were poor in their ground fielding and catching which eventually proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Chasing 250, India lost both openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill cheaply before the hosts lost their way in the middle to be struggling at 51/4 in the 18th over. Shreyas Iyer entertained and offered hope with his 37-ball 50. Shardul Thakur swung his bat but it was Sanju Samson who with his 63-ball 86* almost took India over the line but South Africa kept their nerves to pull off a 9-run victory.

Let’s scan the top three performances from the first ODI between India and South Africa.

Heinrich Klaasen gets player of the match (74) against India (Photo: ©BCCI)

Miller-Klaasen 139* partnership stabilises South Africa

After a decent opening stand, South Africa struggled in the middle overs as they lost four wickets for just 61 runs before David Miller who was in terrific form in the T20I series joined Heinrich Klaasen who was out of the T20I series due to injury.

The former began from where he left as he clubbed two back-to-back boundaries; one was cracked in front of square, while the second one was drilled in the vacant deep mid-wicket region. He also extended his arms to earn one maximum over the mid-off region.

After spending some time in the middle, Klaasen too went wild and rocked back to slap Ravi Bishnoi over the mid-wicket region for a boundary before going over cover for a maximum against Kuldeep Yadav; Klaasen now has scored 60 runs in 48 balls with five boundaries and three maximums against Kuldeep in the ODI games.

The best part of the partnership was that even when they weren’t getting the boundaries, they kept on ticking the scorecard with singles and doubles. Miller with a single deposited his 18th ODI fifty in 51 balls as Klassen too celebrated his fourth ODI fifty with a six lifted over the cover region.

Miller went after Avesh Khan with a lucky boundary that went through the hands of the backward point fielder before smashing a six over deep mid-wicket. He then slapped Mohammed Siraj over extra cover for a six as the unbeaten 139-run stand for the fifth wicket in 106 deliveries between Miller (75*) & Klaasen (74*) pushed them to 249/4 in 40 overs.

Read More: Ind vs SA, 3rd T20I, 2022-23: Rossouw's 100*, Keshav's 2-34 salvage Protea pride; SA win by 49 runs

Sanju Samson scored 86 off 63 against South Africa (Photo: ©BCCI)

Samson with his unbeaten 86 almost took India over the line

When Sanju Samson arrived to the crease, India were struggling at 51/4 in 18 overs chasing a huge total of 250. He stitched a 67-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer who performed fabulously for his 50 as Samson was the secondary member of the stand.

Since the fall of Iyer’s wicket, Samson changed colours and went for big shots; he drove Tabraiz Shamsi for a boundary in the mid-off region before clubbing two boundaries against Wayne Parnell. With a six that sailed over deep mid-wicket, Samson recorded his second ODI half-century in 49 balls.

Shamsi was again hammered for two back-to-back boundaries by Samson who scored 50 runs in 23 balls with six boundaries and two sixes against the chainaman in the evening. With wickets falling on the other end, Samson was stationed at the wrong end.

He drilled one six and three boundaries against Shamsi in the last over but it was too late as Samson even with his 63-ball 86*, thanks to nine boundaries and three sixes, failed to get India victorious.

Read More: Ind A vs NZ A, Unofficial ODIs: Sanju Samson top run-scorer; Kuldeep Yadav tops wicket-takers’ list

Kagiso Rabada took 2-36 against India in 1st ODI (Photo: ©Associated Press)

Rabada-Ngidi bowling partnership of 5/88 saved South Africa

South Africa’s main job was to take early wickets to defend 250 against a short Indian batting line-up and Kagiso Rabada played the role perfectly. In his second over with an in-swinging delivery, he rattled the stumps of Gill for 3.

Rabada was also supported by his bowling partner Lungi Ngidi who dismissed good looking Shreyas Iyer at the right time on 50; Iyer going to clear the mid-on fielder found himself caught in his hands.

In the 38th over which was possibly the game-changing over, Ngidi picked up two wickets for just eight runs; he first sent back Shardul Thakur who slapped the ball straight to mid-off fielder before Kuldeep Yadav chipped one straight to extra-cover fielder. Ngidi who finished with 3/52 in his eight overs did well to keep Samson away from the strike in that over.

Rabada added one more wicket in the form of Avesh Khan who too gave catching practice to Bavuma at covers in the 39th over which resulted in just 8 runs for India. South Africa’s premier bowler returned with 2/36 in his eight overs to pull off a narrow victory for his side.

Read More: Ind vs SA, 2nd T20I, 2022-23: Surya's whirlwind 61* helps India win 1st home T20I series against SA

What’s to Come

Both teams will meet each other in the second ODI of the three-match series on October 9 at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.

Top Twitter Reactions from India vs South Africa, 1st ODI, Lucknow, SA beat India:

Read More: Ind vs SA, 1st T20I, 2022-23: Chahar, Arshdeep rattle SA, Surya scores another fifty; India 1-0 up