"Pitch had a steep tennis ball bounce...": South Africa skipper Markram after loss to India

Cuttack (Odisha) [India], December 9 (ANI): Following his side's loss to India in the first T20I, South African skipper Aiden Markram pointed out that the pitch had a "steep tennis-ball bounce" and it was unfortunate that the Proteas delivered a poor outing with the bat.

The first T20I between two of the best sides in white-ball cricket was a one-sided affair, as Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 59* took India to 175/6, while a clinical bowling performance by spinners and pacers alike condemned SA to 74 all out in 12.3 overs.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Aiden said, "I think there were some good signs with the ball and in the field. Nice to start the way we did. We put some emphasis on starting well, and that was a box we ticked, so we can be proud of that. From a batting point of view, it's unfortunately something that can happen in this format. It is a pity that it had to happen in the first game, but you have to draw a line through it. It is a quick turnaround and we will give it another crack in a couple of days' time. I felt it (the pitch) was quite sticky. That steep tennis-ball bounce and a little bit there with the ball throughout the innings."

Markram said the side would have backed themselves to chase 175 and pointed out how in T20Is, there is not much time to "look around and absorb".

"But the biggest factor was obviously not being able to build partnerships, settling after losing wickets and getting some momentum on our side. So yeah, we will have brief conversations tomorrow. You don't want to dive too deep into things like this. You almost just want to draw a line through it and stick to the positive ways of this format," he concluded.

Coming to the match, India posted 175/6 after opting to field first, with Hardik Pandya (59* in 28 balls, with five fours and four sixes), Tilak Varma (26 in 32 balls, with two fours and a six) and Axar Patel (23 in 21 balls, with a six) being amongst the top scorers.

Lungi Ngidi (3/31) was the pick of the bowlers for SA, while Lutho Sipmala (2/38) was also good with the ball.

In the run chase, SA was never a threat really, with Dewald Brevis (22 in 14 balls, with three fours and a six) offering slight resistance. SA was bundled out for 74 in 12.3 overs, with Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel getting two wickets. Hardik and Shivam Dube got one each.

Hardik took home the 'Player of the Match' award with India 1-0 up in the five-match series. (ANI)

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