Cuttack, Dec 9 (NationPress) Hardik Pandya's exceptional all-round effort, coupled with a stellar bowling display, propelled India to a commanding 101-run victory against South Africa in the inaugural T20I at the Barabati Stadium. This triumph gives the hosts a 1-0 advantage in the five-match series, setting the stage for their T20 World Cup 2026 preparations.

As India defended a total of 176 runs, they began with a spectacular start when Arshdeep Singh dismissed Quinton de Kock for a duck with just the second ball of the match. Although Tristan Stubbs aimed to build momentum, his innings was cut short by the Indian pacer, who secured another wicket in the third over.

Despite early setbacks, Markram and Dewald Brevis tried to stabilize the innings, but a change in bowling brought Axar Patel into the mix, leading to the Protea captain's dismissal for a run-a-ball 14.

Returning to bowl for India after a significant hiatus, Hardik Pandya made an immediate impact by dismissing the perilous David Miller with his first delivery, marking a key breakthrough.

The South African batting lineup faltered under pressure as Indian bowlers systematically took wickets. Although Marco Jansen provided a brief respite with a couple of sixes, Varun Chakaravarthy bowled him out, plunging the visitors into deeper trouble.

Bumrah was on the verge of reaching 100 T20I wickets, finally achieving this landmark by taking out Dewald Brevis in the 11th over, before following up with Keshav Maharaj's wicket shortly after. The Proteas lost their ninth wicket in the 12th over when Anrich Nortje was dismissed by Axar.

Shivam Dube sealed South Africa's fate with a brilliant catch from Abhishek Sharma, resulting in Lutho Sipamla's dismissal. Consequently, South Africa was bowled out for their lowest-ever T20I score of just 74 runs.

In the first innings, Shubman Gill's much-anticipated return was short-lived as he was dismissed by Lungi Ngidi in the opening over. Ngidi struck again to send Suryakumar Yadav back, leaving India in a precarious position early on. Captain Suryakumar briefly counterattacked with a six and a four before falling to a mistimed shot.

Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma steadied the innings, reaching 40/2 by the end of the powerplay, but Sharma's dismissal by Lutho Sipamla disrupted the flow. The middle overs saw Varma and Axar Patel struggle to gain momentum before Varma fell, scoring 26 off 32 balls.

Axar provided some support, but the innings relied heavily on Pandya's decisive performance. The all-rounder struck six boundaries and four sixes, significantly boosting India's total in the final stages. Contributions from Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma added crucial runs as well.

Despite the challenging pitch conditions, Pandya's innings stood out with remarkable quality. As the pitch turned even simple strokes into difficult tasks, India's top order struggled for fluency. Both Tilak Varma and Axar Patel showed promise but ultimately fell short. South Africa tightened their grip with Lungi Ngidi's three-wicket haul and Marco Jansen's tight overs, dismissing batters just as partnerships began to grow.

Amid these challenges, Pandya remained unaffected by the conditions, shifting gears with clarity and confidence, swinging the contest back in India's favor. His innings has kept India firmly in contention despite the adversities posed by the pitch and the South African bowlers.

With India now leading the series, the two teams will clash again for the second T20I on Thursday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Brief Scores: India 175/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 59*, Tilak Varma 26; Lungi Ngidi 3-31, Lutho Sipamla 2-38) beat South Africa (Dewald Brevis 22, Tristan Stubbs 14; Axar Patel 2-7, Arshdeep Singh 2-14) by 101 runs.