'Sanju Samson doing the boring work': Suryakumar Yadav after batter's stunning ton in Durban

India tour of South Africa 2024 commenced on Friday, November 8, with the first T20I of the four-match series between Suryakumar Yadav-led side and Aiden Markram & Co. at the Kingsmead in Durban.

Suryakumar Yadav-led India National Cricket Team beat South Africa National Cricket Team by 61 runs in the match to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The second match is scheduled to be played on Sunday, November 10, at St George's Park in Gqeberha.

India registered 202 runs and bowled out South Africa for 141

India lost the toss but got what they wanted as they were invited to bat first. Abhishek Sharma once again flopped with the bat, but his opening partner, Sanju Samson, played one of the best knocks of his T20I career.

Sanju Samson played an attacking brand of cricket and took the Proteas bowlers to the cleaners. He smashed his second consecutive T20I century as he blasted 107 runs off 50 balls.

Other than Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma (33) and Suryakumar Yadav (21) made decent contributions with the bat. The performances of the aforementioned batters, helped India register a big score of 202 for 8.

Defending the total, the Indian bowlers didn't allow the South African batters to get going. Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi bagged three wickets each, while Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh shared three wickets between them as India bundled out South Africa for 141 in 17.5 overs.

Also Read: Watch: Tristan Stubbs ends Sanju Samson's historic T20I innings with fantastic catch in Durban

As I said already at the toss and the PC, boys have made my job easier - Suryakumar Yadav said after the match

Speaking after the match, the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that he was unaware of India's dominant record in Durban. He said:

"[on India's record here at Durban, if he knew about it] Is it? I did not know about that, I just got to know now. We have not changed our brand of cricket in the last 3-4 series, very happy with the win."

When asked about Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav said that the wicketkeeper-batsman has put in a lot of hard work and is finally reaping the rewards for that. Suryakumar Yadav said:

"[on Samson] The amount of hard work he has put in over the last few years, doing the boring work, he is eating the fruits of that. He was in the 90s but still he was looking for a boundary, playing for the team and shows the character of the man and that's what we look for."

Suryakumar Yadav further spoke about his plans to get spinners at a crucial stage and talked about his captaincy. He said that the talented players in the squad have made his job quite easy.

"[on getting the spinners in at a crucial stage] That was the plan, we were looking for the crucial wickets of Klaasen and Miller and the way they (spinners) delivered, it was incredible," Suryakumar Yadav said.

"[on if he is enjoying the captaincy] As I said already at the toss and the PC, boys have made my job easier, I don't need to carry any baggage, the way they have been showing that fearless attitude, the boys are enjoying themselves on and off the field, which makes my job easier. The brand of cricket we play, even though we lose a few wickets, we want to play without fear. It's a T20 game, we know we have 20 overs but if you can score 200 in 17 overs, why not," Suryakumar Yadav added.

India vs South Africa's previous encounter result

The previous T20I encounter between India and South Africa came in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup final. India posted a good total of 176/7 on the board against South Africa.

Opting to bat first, India's start was shaky as Rohit Sharma was dismissed early for 9 runs, setting the tone for a struggle. Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a crucial 76 off 59 balls, and Axar Patel played a brisk 47 off 31 balls to help lift the team’s total after initial setbacks. Shivam Dube also chipped in with a valuable 27, allowing India to reach a competitive score by the end of 20 overs.

In response, South Africa stumbled almost immediately. Jasprit Bumrah struck early, removing Reeza Hendricks for 4, while Arshdeep Singh trapped captain Aiden Markram for a mere 4 runs as well. Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs then staged a mini-recovery, but Arshdeep’s accuracy and Bumrah's disciplined bowling kept the South African top order from gathering momentum.

However, Heinrich Klaasen's blistering 52 off 27 balls turned the game into a tense showdown. His onslaught, paired with David Miller’s 21, kept South Africa's hopes alive, inching them closer to the target.

In the end, when South Africa needed 30 off 30, Indian bowlers held their nerve. Hardik Pandya’s three-wicket haul, particularly in the death overs, proved pivotal, as South Africa fell short by 7 runs at 169/8.