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South Africa vs India 2023-24 Cricket

'Ye toh phir bhi B team thi A team hoti kya hota' - Fans react as India crush South Africa by eight wickets in first ODI

India secured an 8-wicket victory over South Africa in the first ODI of the 3-match series at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, December 17.

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Mathew K
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India (Source: Twitter)

After a fighting effort in the third T20I and ensuring that the series was levelled, the Indian team came out all guns blazing in the first ODI. Under the captaincy of KL Rahul, the Indian team suffered a humiliating 3-0 series loss. But this time around, Rahul meant revenge and the team also responded. India secured an 8-wicket victory over South Africa in the first ODI of the 3-match series at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, December 17.

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The Men in Blue now take a 1-0 lead in the series, with Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan taking five and four wickets, respectively. Earlier, in the game, it was South African skipper Aiden Markram who won the toss and elected to bat first. But his decision was proven wrong by the Indian seamers who kept on picking up wickets at regular intervals. Arshdeep Singh dismantled the South African top order, while Avesh Khan wreaked havoc in the middle order, securing four crucial wickets. 

The Indian seamers capitalized on favourable conditions, adhering to their plans and inducing poor shots from the Proteas' batters. Despite Andile Phehlukwayo's lone battle with a top score of 33, Arshdeep had the final say by dismissing him in his last over, achieving a remarkable five-wicket haul. Kuldeep Yadav concluded the proceedings as South Africa was bundled out for a mere 116.

Sai Sudharshan hits fifty on his debut

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In pursuit of the modest target of 117 runs, the Indian team started cautiously. However, they lost Ruturaj Gaikwad early in the 4th over. Still, debutant Sai Sudharsan and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer steadied the ship, forging a match-winning 88-run stand for the 2nd wicket. Iyer batted aggressively alongside Sudharsan, with both players smashing half-centuries.

However, Iyer fell after contributing 52 runs off 45 balls, featuring 7 fours and 1 six. Meanwhile, the left-handed batter, who received a lifeline in the opening over of the 2nd innings, stayed unbeaten with 55 runs, guiding the team to an impressive 8-wicket victory in the inaugural clash. Arshdeep received the Player of the Match award for his outstanding bowling performance.

 Let us look at how Twitter has reacted to this win from India;

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