India vs South Africa Highlights: 1st IND vs SA T20I match abandoned after rain delayed toss at Durban’s Kingsmead

Team India coach Rahul Dravid had an exceptional series with the bat in his first tour of South Africa in 1997. The former India captain scored his maiden Test hundred, carried his form in the ODI tri-series, with Zimbabwe with the third team. But the tour was mostly remember for his ugly spat with South Africa pacer Allan Donald in the final.

Although, India lost the rain-hit final by 17 runs, Rahul Dravid was adjudged as player of the match for his valiant 84. Dravid hit five fours and one six, forged crucial partnerships for the second and third wicket with the then captain Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin (45). However, he didn’t get much help from the other batters and India was bowled out for 234.

(READ MORE)

With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future uncertain, the top priority of the side is to groom players who can bat in those positions and deliver consistently. As regards bowling, in the absence of Hardik Pandya, the side has made a habit of operating with just five bowlers in games and we might see a similar tactic from skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the series. It has worked more often than not for Indian conditions. On overseas pitches, two spinners in a five-man bowling attack might handicap the skipper for options.

1st ODI – December 17, 2023 in New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

2nd ODI – December 19, 2023 in St George’s Park, Gqeberha

3rd ODI – December 21, 2023 in Boland Park, Paarl

1st Test – December 26-30, 2023 at 1:30 PM IST in SuperSport Park, Centurion

2nd Test – January 3-7, 2024 at 2:00 PM IST in Newlands, Cape Town

The Proteas have an abundance of hard hitters down the order. Ferreira is one of those players. The right-handed batter, who comes lower down the order, can clear the boundaries with ease and can inflict serious damage to bowling sides. In 39 T20s, he averages 32.20 and strikes at 152.47. He also can chip in with the ball if needed in the middle overs and can keep things tight in the middle overs.

vs South Africa

2nd T20I – December 12, 2023 in St George’s Park, Gqeberha

3rd T20I – December 14, 2023 in New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

vs Afghanistan

1st T20I – January 11, 2024 in Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali

2nd T20I – January 14, 2024 in Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

3rd T20I – January 17, 2024 in M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Bad news for everyone as the match has been called off. Not what anyone would have wanted but it is what it is.

Not so great news from Durban as the 1st T20I has been called off due to incessant rains.#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/R1XW1hqhnf

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2023

The all-rounder struggled as captain for Chennai Super Kings in the 2022 season and seemed like it even affected his game. However, Jadeja has been given another opportunity in the leadership role in a bigger capacity and it will be interesting to see this time around how he reacts to the responsibility. Along with that, his finishing skills and his ability to keep a lid on run rate in the middle overs are also something that need to be watched.

The umpires are now on the field but they ball have their umbreallas and raincoats firmly in place. Does not look too promising at the moment unless the weather changes drastically.

"The only positive of the rain break is the team bonding between the players while they wait for the drizzle to stop," says Sunil Gavaskar on air. The fans, however, won't be too thrilled with the weather 

Shubman Gill has been called as one for the future, the one who can carry the Indian batting order on his shoulders. With the big guns in the top order unavailable, it is Gill who needs to take responsibility for making those big scores at the top while anchoring the innings. However, it is not going to be easy for the batter as the conditions in South Africa will offer more pace and bounce than conditions the youngster has faced before.

Ab de Villers revealed the real reason behind his retirement and said he played the last two years of his career with a detatched retina.

“When I got the surgery done the doctor actually asked me, ‘How in the world did you play cricket like this?’. Luckily my left eye did a decent job for the last two years of my career,” Ab de Villers told Wisden Cricket.

VIDEO | "When you have bowlers like Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, you can always expect a win in any conditions against any opponents. So, yes, we will expect a win," says former cricketer @GautamGambhir as India begins a three-match T20 series against South Africa.

(Full… pic.twitter.com/nkBpTKCk3E

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 10, 2023

The Indian players are still in their dressing room as live visuals show that it's still raining at the venue. We must have already lost some overs but it's still not confirmed. Stay tuned.

South Africa’s Faf Du Plessis has hinted that he is contemplating a comeback into the national team ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will happen in the West Indies and USA next year.

While Du Plessis had never officially retired from white-ball cricket, he did not make the cut for the South Africa teams in the last two editions of the T20 World Cup. It must be noted that Du Plessis captained South Africa during two T20 World Cup campaigns in 2014 and 2016. (READ MORE)

Team India coach Rahul Dravid had an exceptional series with the bat in his first tour of South Africa in 1997. The former India captain scored his maiden Test hundred, carried his form in the ODI tri-series, with Zimbabwe with the third team. But the tour was mostly remember for his ugly spat with South Africa pacer Allan Donald in the final.

Although, India lost the rain-hit final by 17 runs, Rahul Dravid was adjudged as player of the match for his valiant 84. Dravid hit five fours and one six, forged crucial partnerships for the second and third wicket with the then captain Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin (45). However, he didn’t get much help from the other batters and India was bowled out for 234. (READ MORE)

The live visuals don't paint a pretty picture as many in the crowd have their umbrellas on top of their heads while the Indian players look on with the rain constantly beating down in Kingsmead.

The India-South Africa series have always brought with it a fair share of drama as well as controversies. As the Men in Blue prepare for their upcoming trip to the Proteas’ playground in the series which will kickstart on December 10, here’s a look back at one infamous incident in 2001 when Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar was suspended by the match referee Mike Denness for ball tampering charges.

The incident took place in the second Test at Port Elizabeth when Denness handed suspensions to six Indian players including captain Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar. While Ganguly was banned for one Test and 2 ODIs, Sehwag was handed a suspension for one Test. The lightning rod for controversy was over Tendulkar’s 1-Test ban for ‘tampering the ball.’  (READ MORE)

India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Washington Sundar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Yadav

South Africa Squad: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(w), David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ottniel Baartman, Marco Jansen, Donovan Ferreira, Lizaad Williams

Hardik Pandya is likely to comeback from injury and play in the T20 home series against Afghanistan that starts on January 11, according to the BCCI secretary Jay Shah. There has been much speculation about the possibility of Rohit Sharma leading India in the T20 world cup in June, but Shah said that nothing has been decided yet.

“What is the need to have clarity right now? It (T20 World Cup) is starting in June, we have the IPL before that and the series against Afghanistan,” Shah said on the sidelines of the Women’s Premier League auction. (READ MORE)

Reports suggest it's not looking too good at the moment with the venue experiencing a steady drizzle at the moment. We might start losing overs if the match does no start in the next 10 minutes, which looks highly unlikey at the moment.

1st T20I – January 11, 2024 in Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali

2nd T20I – January 14, 2024 in Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

3rd T20I – January 17, 2024 in M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

After edging past Australia and clinching the recent T20I series 4-1, the Indian contingent will travel to South Africa for a series which will start from December 10 with the first T20 match. Whenever India have faced South Africa in years past, every series has had its fair share of talking points. The 2004/06 series was no different with the second Test at the Wanderers going down in cricket folklore for one player in particular- S Sreesanth.

Sreesanth was the man of the match in that Test and helped India to their first-ever Test win in South Africa with his 8-wicket haul, including a fifer in the first innings. But all that was overshadowed due to an exchange the Indian bowler had with the bat against Proteas pacer Andre Nel. (READ MORE)

The story of the rift between captain Sourav Ganguly and coach Greg Chappell is a tale as old as time in the Indian cricketing lore. Chappell and Ganguly had a massive fallout which led to the latter losing his captaincy to Rahul Dravid and eventually be dropped altogether from the Indian team.

But Ganguly would make a fairytale comeback to side in the 2006 tour to South Africa which stands out as one of the most iconic moments in Indian cricketing lore. As the present Indian team are getting ready to pack their bags and head to South Africa for the upcoming tour, beginning on December 10, here’s a look back on Ganguly’s famous comeback tour in Protea land. (READ MORE)

“The players put their hands up against Australia and came up with fearless cricket, and we need to play the same against South Africa. I just told them (players) to do exactly what they do in franchise cricket,” captain Surya said a day before the match. (READ)

The Men in Blue are going in with three different captains for the SA tour. Suryakumar Yadav will captain the T20I side, followed by ODIs where KL Rahul will take the reins.

For the white ball leg, youngsters are being tested. However, for the red-ball games, the big guns will be back and Rohit Sharma will lead the side in a two-match series which is a part of the WTC cycle.

As mentioned earlier, after the 3 T20Is they play against South Africa, the Indian team will have 3 more T20Is against Afghanistan at home which are the only international T20 matches they will play before travelling to West Indies and the USA for the T20 World Cup. That's 6 matches to get their team in order which makes all these encounters of paramount importance.

2nd T20I – December 12, 2023 in St George’s Park, Gqeberha

3rd T20I – December 14, 2023 in New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

1st ODI – December 17, 2023 in New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

2nd ODI – December 19, 2023 in St George’s Park, Gqeberha

3rd ODI – December 21, 2023 in Boland Park, Paarl

1st Test – December 26-30, 2023 at 1:30 PM IST in SuperSport Park, Centurion

2nd Test – January 3-7, 2024 at 2:00 PM IST in Newlands, Cape Town

Hardik Pandya is likely to comeback from injury and play in the T20 home series against Afghanistan that starts on January 11, according to the BCCI secretary Jay Shah. There has been much speculation about the possibility of Rohit Sharma leading India in the T20 world cup in June, but Shah said that nothing has been decided yet.

“What is the need to have clarity right now? It (T20 World Cup) is starting in June, we have the IPL before that and the series against Afghanistan,” Shah said on the sidelines of the Women’s Premier League auction. (Read more from Devendra Pandey)

Reports are coming in that if the rain does not stop, we will start losing overs from 16.40 local time which is 8.10 pm IST. We still have a fair bit of time left for that though.

With 30 slots available and more than 160 players registered, the WPL auction ahead of the second season came to an end on Saturday in Mumbai with all teams completing their maximum 18 slots. Australia’s Annabel Sutherland and uncapped Indian player Kashvee Gautam got the highest bids of Rs 2 crore each from Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants respectively. (Read more from Vinayakk Mohanarangan)

India was unbeaten in the recently concluded 50-over World Cup until the final hurdle. Throughout their campaign, they looked a class apart from the other sides. Former South African captain Faf du Plessis said it is going to be a “breaking up with a girlfriend” and compared it to the Proteas’ 2015 campaign when they lost a nail-biter in the semifinal. (Read more)

We have a slight delay folks as it is raining in the ground stay with us for further updates

A fun shoot for the two Captains with a local flavour ??

Captain @surya_14kumar and Aiden Markram pose with the silverware ahead of the three match T20I series.#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/CsN3gMkilU

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 9, 2023

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the three-match T20I series in South Africa. The Kingsmead is currently under covers. ??? #TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/5uolod2qYZ

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2023

Not just youngsters, but uncapped players with domestic cricket experience are being tried out. The 30-year old seamer Ottniel Baartman too finds a place, and it remains to be seen if he finally makes his debut, having been part of squads in the past but without playing. The 33-year old fast bowler Beuran Hendricks too has been named in the T20 series.

India too have the 31-year old Deepak Chahar and the 30-year old Mukesh Kumar in their T20 ranks. Two countries who are trying to take the positives from the World Cup and forget the heartbreak, and investing in widening their talent pool will go at each other from Sunday.

The journey of Jitesh Sharma is one of a kind. For someone who never had a coach, who learnt cricket through YouTube and was in and out of the Vidarbha team because of his flamboyant batting, the wicketkeeper-batsman is finally reaping the rewards for his fearlessness.

On Friday evening in Raipur, when India were in a precarious position, the Vidarbha batsman not only forged a game-changing 56-run stand with Rinku Singh but also outscored the southpaw during the partnership. Jitesh scored a 19-ball 35 which included three sixes. It took him only four balls to hit the first six against Chris Green, where he shuffled across like Suryakumar Yadav and launched it over deep square leg. (Read more from Pratyush Raj)

Wood explains why Surya isn’t quite carrying his T20 form into ODIs. For all the supreme innings he has played in T20I cricket, Surya’s ODI career hasn’t really taken off. From 37 games, he averages 25.8 with a highest of 72 not out. That’s a far cry from his T20I record where he has three 100s. In theory, with no more than four fielders outside the ring for 30 overs of a 50-over innings and a one ball from each end, Surya should have been able to find the boundary more easily and regularly in the longer format. But it has not been the case.

Wood compares Surya to England’s Liam Livingstone and says how having to think more is not letting them play to their full potential in the format. “I think another example is Liam Livingstone. He struggles a bit in the 50-over stuff, and doesn’t know whether to bat properly or just hit. In the T20 format when he comes in with five overs to go, the game is sort of set up for him. The longer the format, you have options. The more options, things can go slightly wrong.”

India will take on South Africa in the first T20I of the three-match series at Kingsmead in Durban. The team, missing a few regulars, emerged unscathed in the short series against Australia in India, winning it 4-1. However, the series in South Africa will be quite a different challenge altogether away from home.

With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future uncertain, the top priority of the side is to groom players who can bat in those positions and deliver consistently. As regards bowling, in the absence of Hardik Pandya, the side has made a habit of operating with just five bowlers in games and we might see a similar tactic from skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the series. It has worked more often than not for Indian conditions. On overseas pitches, two spinners in a five-man bowling attack might handicap the skipper for options.

In T20 cricket, big-hitting superstars often bank on data to read the minds of bowlers who keep varying the pace and trajectory of the ball. But data alone can’t make one a Surya-kind of hitter.

“There is an analyst who can give feedback on what bowlers do and where they go after they are hit. Sometimes, you can give too much data but there are players who go more on their gut feel. They will have a feeling. You cannot have one without the other. It is about balance. You can be given all the information in the world but if you cannot execute your skill, it is going to be very hard. The players have gut feelings and they have the information. It is how you manage those,” the specialist says.

Power-hitting Guru Julian Wood rates Surya as the best hitter in contemporary Indian cricket and a potent finisher in the future. He goes on to explain how Surya works on the angle of the ball that’s storming towards him. “His contact point is not in front of him or when the ball is outside off-stump; he is playing it very late. When you play the ball late, that close to you, you need space, you get inside the ball and use the angle. Whether the ball is bowled from over the wicket or round, it’s coming at the batsman at a slight angle. Batsmen like Surya hit the ball with the angle. They are also using the pace plus adding pace to the ball as well.”

Smiles ??
Cheers ?
Banter ?

How about that for a #SAvIND T20I series Trophy Unveiling! ? ?#TeamIndia | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/fxlVjIgT3U

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2023

Faf du Plessis highlights the age-old factor that the Indian batsmen have to overcome if they are to succeed in South Africa. “If India can get adapted to the bounce on offer, it is going to be a good white-ball leg, Du Plessis told this newspaper. “Both India and South Africa are coming on the back of a very good World Cup. From what I have seen they have the right sort of players. Them coming against each other is going to make for some fantastic cricket.”

The team which will win the toss might be looking to bowl first as rain in the second innings of the chase might bring the Duckworth Lewis Stern method (DLS) into play. Also with humidity around 84-85 per cent, there might be help for the fast bowlers with the new ball especially in the first innings.

Game. Day. READY! ? ?#TeamIndia geared up for the T20I series opener in Durban ? ?

ARE YOU?#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/UTpFjxPWbB

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2023

In cricketing terms, too, apart from the World Cup loopback, there are similarities. Both countries had been a bit slow in adapting to the all-out attack T20 mode that became commonplace elsewhere. India’s shyness was particularly egregious as it’s the home to the most celebrated T20 league in the world. But of late, they have shown enough signs that they want to inhabit the brave new world. Same with South Africa.

According to Accuweather, it will be a cloudy day with thunderstorms predicted through the day. There is a 55 per cent chance of rain and it increases to 58% in the night. The game is set to start at 4 PM South African local time.

According to Accuweather, it will be a cloudy day with thunderstorms predicted through the day. There is a 55 per cent chance of rain and it increases to 58% in the night. The game is set to start at 4 PM South African local time.

The youngster has been called as one for the future, the one who can carry the Indian batting order on his shoulders. With the big guns in the top order unavailable, it is Gill who needs to take responsibility for making those big scores at the top while anchoring the innings. However, it is not going to be easy for the batter as the conditions in South Africa will offer more pace and bounce than conditions the youngster has faced before.

The all-rounder struggled as captain for Chennai Super Kings in the 2022 season and seemed like it even affected his game. However, Jadeja has been given another opportunity in the leadership role in a bigger capacity and it will be interesting to see this time around how he reacts to the responsibility. Along with that, his finishing skills and his ability to keep a lid on run rate in the middle overs are also something that need to be watched.

The Proteas have an abundance of hard hitters down the order. Ferreira is one of those players. The right-handed batter, who comes lower down the order, can clear the boundaries with ease and can inflict serious damage to bowling sides. In 39 T20s, he averages 32.20 and strikes at 152.47. He also can chip in with the ball if needed in the middle overs and can keep things tight in the middle overs.

"The guys I'm watching in T20 cricket right now are very expressive. They don't have a lot of fear of failure. Whatever happens - if they do well or if they don't get runs on that given day - their attitude remains the same on and off the field. That balance is really important when you play this sport."

"You'd like to know them on a deeper level before going into the series with them. We've had a few good days together trying to get to know them and understanding what makes them tick. The nature of cricket is that series come thick and fast and there'll be times when new guys are in and they are going to have to find their feet quickly, and we are going to do our best to help them settle down and be as relaxed as they can be in the environment. It's a tricky one but the group we have here is a great bunch of guys."

Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markam, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Tabraiz Shamsi

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of India taking on South Africa from Durban. It is going to be a fascinating series in many aspects. Though India played Australia after the World Cup this feels more like the first series post that heartbreaking final. We will be here with you throughout the series sharing our views through blogs and brilliant pieces from our writers. Stay with us and enjoy all the exciting action this evening and throughout the series as well.