Samson’s ton power India to victory

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In a spectacular display of aggressive batting, Sanju Samson dominated South Africa’s bowling attack with a blistering century that powered India to a commanding victory in the T20 series opener at Kingsmead.

Samson’s remarkable innings of 107 runs, his second T20I hundred in just four matches, featured an extraordinary display of power hitting with seven fours and ten sixes.

The wicketkeeper-batsman particularly excelled in the region between point and cover, amassing 69 runs from just 19 deliveries in that area.

The innings gained momentum through two crucial partnerships – a 66-run stand with captain Suryakumar Yadav and a 77-run alliance with Tilak Varma.

Despite a late innings wobble where India lost four wickets in the final overs, they posted their fourth-highest total against South Africa. South Africa’s chase never gained traction, with only three batters crossing the 20- run mark.

The hosts’ struggles were epitomized by captain Aiden Markram’s early dismissal, extending his streak without a T20I fifty to 25 innings over two years.

The Indian bowling attack, led by spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, who claimed three wickets each while conceding just 53 runs in their combined eight overs, proved too formidable.

Their effort was well supported by early breakthroughs from pacers Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan.

Gerald Coetzee, returning to international cricket after 166 days, showed promise with key wickets in the death overs, but couldn’t prevent India’s dominance.

The hosts’ batting collapse saw them bowled out inside 18 overs, recording their fourth-lowest score against India.

The match witnessed a pivotal moment when Chakravarthy dismissed both Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller in quick succession, effectively ending South Africa’s resistance.

Their partnership of 42 runs had been the hosts’ only substantial stand before the collapse.

Tilak Varma’s aggressive cameo, including impressive boundary-hitting against both pace and spin, provided crucial momentum to India’s innings before his dismissal to a well-judged catch by Marco Jansen.

The comprehensive 61-run victory highlighted India’s depth in both batting and bowling, while exposing South Africa’s struggles in maintaining consistency across both departments.