India pace bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan wreaked havoc as the KL Rahul-led visitors thrashed South Africa by eight wickets in the opening One-Day International at the Wanderers here on Sunday.
On a wicket offering pace and bounce to the quicks, Avesh returned figures of 4 for 27 in his eight overs, while left-armer Arshdeep had excellent figures of 5 for 37 in 10 overs as South Africa were dismissed for a paltry 116 in 27.3 overs.
Arshdeep Singh Took 5 Wicktes
Arshdeep Singh emerged as the star of the show, making history as the first Indian pacer to achieve a 5-wicket haul against South Africa in the 50-over format. Avesh Khan also shone with 4 wickets, as the Indian pacers wreaked havoc on the spicy Wanderers pitch, catching Aiden Markram’s team off guard.
Sai Sudharsan Performed Well
Making his presentation, Sai Sudharsan, a gifted 22-year-old hitter from Tamil Nadu, exhibited his class by scoring a fifty on his ODI debut. With a well-paced, unbeaten 55, Sudharsan demonstrated that he is prepared for the big leagues, despite some fortunate times.
India Shows Dominance In The Match
India’s predominance was obvious as they pursued down a small complete of 117 in 16.4 overs, overwhelming South Africa with both their bowling and batting ability. This victory was India’s first in an ODI match against South Africa since February 2018, when they lost to them 3-0 in a 2022 ODI series.