India suffered a nine-run defeat to South Africa in the opening Lucknow ODI on Thursday. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan felt that his side gave away too many runs, besides being intermittent on the field.
Stand-in Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan admitted that his side leaked too many runs in the death overs and was also poor on the field. It led to a nine-run upset against South Africa in the rain-hit opening One-Day International (ODI) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday. Electing to bowl in the 40-over-a-side contest, India reduced South Africa to 110/4 within the 23rd overs, but David Miller (75*) and Heinrich Klaasen (74*) powered the visitors to 249/4. While the Indian bowlers leaked 54 runs in the closing five overs, the hosts were also guilty of four dropped catches.
"I thought 250 was too many runs. We gave away too many runs on a wicket that swung and spun, the fielding wasn't great, we leaked a few runs, but this was a good learning experience for us," Dhawan said during the post-match presentation. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma declared that his bowlers lost some momentum in the middle overs with Sanju Samson (86*) going great guns, but he was glad they managed to hold their nerves in the end.
"A good fight at the end. Sanju pushed us, but the boys stood firm and took us to the win. Bowling upfront was good in the first 15 overs by KG [Kagiso Rabada] and [Wayne] Parnell. I thought we lost our way in the middle overs, gave away far too many runs, but in the end, the result did go our way, and I'm happy with that," considered Bavuma.
Talking about Protea's batting, Bavuma sounded: "We lost a couple of wickets in the middle overs, myself and Aiden [Markram], but the boys knuckled down. Miller and Klaasen played positively, stung together a partnership and took us to a good score." Klaasen was adjudged the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 74 off 65 deliveries and displayed that it was a tricky wicket to bat on.
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Asked if the conditions were easy to bat, Klaasen said, "Not at all. The ball was moving and spinning just before I walked out to the middle. But, we have worked hard in the nets. I have a good record against India and am looking forward to the rest of the games."
Keshav Maharaj, who seized 1/23, voiced that the partnership between Miller and Klaasen was the match's turning point. "I thought Heinrich came in and absorbed well, and David was hitting the ball stupendously and just exploded in the back end, and I think that was the difference between us and the Indian side, getting that partnership towards the end," he felt.
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"We are just making sure that we are doing the right things and hopefully put in more performances going forward, building towards the World Cup," added Maharaj. On Sunday, India and South Africa will now fight in the second ODI at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.
(With inputs from PTI)