NEW DELH: South Africa staged a stark comeback in the first ODI against India after being reduced to 11 for 3 in the powerplay. The early damage appeared decisive, but the lower middle order brought remarkable grit to drag the contest deep into the final over.
It took every bit of India’s composure to eventually secure a 17 run win in a tense finish.
All rounders Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch took charge when the match was slipping away. Jansen struck a superb 82 off 65 balls, mixing clean hitting with mature strike rotation to keep South Africa alive. Bosch matched that effort with a spirited 67 off 49, playing fearlessly as the asking rate kept climbing.
Aiden Markram said he took pride in the fight his side showed after a difficult start.
“Really proud. Great to sit in the changing room and watch the guys do their thing. Never losing the belief that we can pull a rabbit from the hat.”
He admitted that the top order collapse put them on the back foot early, especially on a surface offering help with the new ball.
“The top order failed more than anything else. Knew that there would be some zip with the new ball while chasing. Still felt chasing was the way to go. Just had to ride the storm, and we saw what the middle order can do.”
Markram added that a few critical moments swung the match away, but he appreciated the depth and character shown by the lower order.
“A couple of moments here and there. Overall, really proud of the effort. Got really close and showed a lot of character. Any team would like to bat as deep as possible, and that’s what they do for us (Jansen and Bosch).”
South Africa will take confidence from this recovery as they head into the second ODI, knowing they pushed India harder than the final margin suggests.
