India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav encouraged his teammates to continue playing fearless cricket after witnessing their strong performance against South Africa in the first T20I on Tuesday. Hardik Pandya’s explosive unbeaten 59 from just 28 balls propelled India to a total of 175 for six, leading to a convincing 101-run victory as South Africa fell for only 74 runs in 12.3 overs.
Reflecting on the match, Suryakumar remarked, “I said at the toss that we were 50:50 but happy to bat. At 48 for 3 and to get 175 was great. We thought we would get to 160, but 175 was unbelievable.” The team was struggling at 104 for five before an impressive recovery allowed them to post a competitive score. He stressed the importance of a fearless mindset, saying, “With 7-8 batters, there will be days when the other batters cover it up. We want everyone to be fearless and enjoy their batting.”
Regarding Pandya’s absence from early bowling duties, Suryakumar explained, “I think Arshdeep and Bumrah were the perfect bowlers in the powerplay. Hardik coming back later on, we had to take care of him after his injury.”
Pandya, who returned to international cricket after recovering from a quadriceps injury, expressed satisfaction with his batting performance. He achieved this milestone with six fours and four sixes, helping lift India’s score. “I had to back my shots. I realized the wicket had a bit of spice. It was more about timing the ball, not breaking it. I was very satisfied with the way I was batting,” he said.
Pandya had missed tours to Australia and recent ODIs against South Africa due to his injury. He noted, “The last six-seven months have been great from my fitness point of view. It was satisfying when you come here, and the results come like this.” On not bowling during the powerplay, he added, “As a cricketer, I’ve never been fussy about roles. It’s about what India wants.”
South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram attributed his team’s heavy defeat to a lack of partnerships. He acknowledged that while they started well, they failed to maintain momentum. “It’s a pity that it had to happen in the first game, but you have to draw a line through it. We’ll give it another crack in a couple of days,” he said.
Markram described the pitch as “quite sticky,” which contributed to their struggles, and he noted that their total of 74 marked a new low for the team in T20 internationals. “We just needed to be better with the bat, and unfortunately, that wasn’t the case,” he reflected.
In closing, he mentioned the need for improvement, stating, “The biggest factor was not being able to build partnerships and settle down after losing wickets.” Markram indicated they would maintain a positive outlook and focus on their strategies ahead of their next match.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/ind-vs-sa-1st-t20i-suryakumar-yadav-fearless-india-10411827/
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Publish Date: 2025-12-10 00:07:00
