India win by runs
That's it! All over, India have registered a comprehensive victory by 28 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series.
Five-for for Bhuvi
Big wicket
Up in the orbit! Dhoni settles in nicely under it and he doesn't miss those. HUGE wicket for India. Reeza Hendricks is out for 70 off 50 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has his third of the night. South Africa's last hopes are going with him probably.
Chahal breaks the stand
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Just when it was getting difficult for India, Chahal puts his hand up, comes up with a beautiful delivery to break the stand. Behardien did not get it anywhere near to the middle of his bat, his one hand came off and he could only manage to scoop it to long on. He departs for 39. SA 129/4
Maiden fifty for Hendricks
100 up for South Africa
Two brilliant shots from Hendricks and two boundaries is the result. 100 up for South Africa in 12 overs. What a partnership this has been, 56 runs off 36 balls. Hendricks and Behardien have brought South Africa back in this game.
Pandya gets Miller
Another skier, another smart catch by Dhawan. Boy, India have been terrific in the field so far. A slower delivery from Pandya, Miller goes for the big one, doesn't get anywhere near the middle and South Africa have lost another important wicket.
Great catch by Raina
That's why you need a Suresh Raina in the team, he's always a plus in the field. What catch running backwards by the left-hander. Second wicket for Kumar and this time it'sthe South African captain JP Duminy.
Bhuvneshwar draws first blood
Straight up in the air! Oh that has got snow on it after it came down. Credit to Dhawan for taking a smart catch. He can do no wrong today. A fuller length delivery around leg stump, Smuts goes for a flick shot, ends up getting a top edge and India have their first wicket. SA: 29/1
Smuts on the charge
JJ Smuts is not gonna die wondering. He gives South Africa the ideal start. Hits India's T20 specialist, Jaydev Unadkat for back to back fours. Three fours off the Unadkat over and South Africa are 20 for no loss after 2 overs.
India innings round-up
Excellent comeback from South Africa. They conceded 46 in the last five overs. Till the 15th over, India was threatening to get much more than what they have got. But the home side pacers decided to prevent the later damage. After going for 31 off his first two overs, Dane Paterson recovered well to concede just 17 off his last two, getting his yorkers with supreme accuracy. He remained wicketless but the same cannot be said about the debutant Junior Dala. The youngster bowled with a spring in his steps and got a couple of scalps to his name. Tabraiz Shamsi would be cherishing the evening for having got the big scalp of Virat Kohli.
Shikhar Dhawan played one of his best T20I innings after Rohit Sharma had given India a dream start. The lelft-hander played some breathtaking strokes off his back foot - both through the off and leg side on his to way a magnificent 72 off just 39 balls with two sixes and 10 fours. India's innings again lacked the finishing touches but Manish Pandey played a sensible innings to ensure India crossed the 200-run mark.
No grand finish
A very good last over by Paterson but India still manage to go past 200 and they end up with 203 for 5 after their 20 overs.
BOWLED!
Dhoni walks too far across in his quest to flick it over the short fine-leg and the ball cannons onto his leg stump. Full and straight from Morris, he strikes, the wait for the old Dhoni continues.
Dhawan falls for 72
An anti-climax of the highest order. Shikhar Dhawan paddles it straight to the keeper, which ends a fabulous innings from the left-hander. South Africa will breath easy now, Dhawan is out for 72 off 39 balls.
Meanwhile, Harsha Bhogle breaks the news of AB de Villiers not being available for entire T20I series.
50 off 27 for Dhawan
Shamsi gets Kohli
Shamsi rans past the batsman and finally gets the umpire's finger, boy is he elated or what. And why wouldn't he be? He has got the Indian captain, oh wait! Kohli has gone for the review. It hits him on the back leg, no chance, three reds. India lose their only review and their captain. IND: 109/3
100 in 8.2 overs
Guess what, a quiet tap down long on brings up India's 100 in the most nonchalant manner in just 8.2 overs. With Pandya, Dhoni and Pandey to go, India should eye nothing less than 220 here.
Behardien the culprit
Oh no no! What have you done Behardien? It was a simple catch at long on and Behardien floors it. Kohli has a wry smile on his face, even he didn't expect it to be dropped and hence did not even go for a single. Poor Tabraiz Shamsi, he looks devastated.
India 78/2 after 6
Another 18-run over. Shikhar Dhawan has taken apart the debutant here. A six and a four to finish the powerplay. India have flown away to 78. Phew!
A couple of boundaries to end the fifth over. Shikhar Dhawan has joined the party. India have raced away to 60 at a run rate of 12. A lot to think for the hosts.
And Raina goes
He also dies on the edge. Trying to hit Dala off the attack, only manages to sky it and the debutant takes the return catch. Raina manages a quickfire 15 off 7 balls on comeback and Dala has taken two. IND: 46/2 after 4
Raina arrives
He always lives on the edge. Raina tries to go for another six, mistimes it but luckily for him, the fielder could not gather it and what's more, the ball trickles for a boundary.
BANG! goes Raina. A flat batted pull shot over the deep square leg boundary for a six. Suresh Raina announces his arrival here.
Suprise Surprise! Suresh Raina walks out at No. 3 in place of the captain Virat Kohli.
Debutant Dala ends the Rohit carnage
Yes, there is a glove, confirmation from the snicko. What a moment for the debutant, strikes in his very first over and that too Rohit Sharma, who was off to a flier (21 off 9).
Huge appeal from the keeper, nothing from the bowler there. In fact all the South African fielders have gone up except the bowler. They have gone for the review. A short delivery directed towards Rohit's body, he tries to go over the off side by giving himself room but doesn't get the desired result.
What a start!
Another short one is dealt with utmost disrespect from Rohit, only four this time. 18 off the first over
Make it two in the over! Rohit is one fire here. Another short one from Paterson, this time the line is on the leg side, Roht rocks onto the backfoot and pulls it with great intent. The high altitude of Wanderers does the rest, takes it over the boundary for another six.
WOW! That's not a bad way to start off an innings, a six over third man! Short and wide from Paterson, Rohit frees his arms and the ball flies over the third man boundary for a six. Rohit Sharma gets off the mark with a maximum off his second ball.
The familiar Indian opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have made their way out into the centre. And We are ready for the first ball.
India XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni(wk), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat
South Africa XI: Reeza Hendricks, JJ Smuts, JP Duminy(c), David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Heinrich Klaasen(wk), Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Junior Dala, Dane Paterson, Tabraiz Shamsi
Team News: Great if you are an Indian fan, exactly the opposite if you are in the South African camp. NO AB de Villiers, he misses out because of a knee injury. Klaasen and Junior Dala make their debuts.
For India, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Jaydev Unadkat and Bhuvneshwar Kumar come in. Kuldeep Yadav misses out because of a niggle.
Toss: South Africa wins the toss and opts to field first.
Pitch Report: Shaun Pollock says it's great surface to bat on. He feels the ball will come on to the bat without any lateral movement, so the batsman can hit through the line. And mind you, Wanderers has been quite a six hitting ground because of its higher altitude. Average total batting first here is 173.
The Prelude
The Tests went to South Africa, The ODIs were clinched by India with utmost superiority and now the action has shifted to the shortest format of the game as the three-match T20I series starts off today at Johannesburg.
The last time India played South Africa in South Africa was back in 2006 in a one-off T20 encounter under Virender Sehwag’s leadership which the touring team won by six wickets.
Bolstered by terrific all-round performances led by skipper Kohli, who was adjudged the Man of the Series in the recently concluded ODI series, India will hope to thrash the hosts in the three-match series.
Alongside the skipper, batsmen Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya will look to make the most of their capabilities in the shortest format.
Batsman Suresh Raina, who has made a comeback in the T20Is will act as a vital cog in the middle-order and will look to prove his mettle.
The bowling department, which looked lethal with wrist-spinning duo Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav will try to make a mark in the shortest format.
Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will only add depth to the formidable Indian bowling line-up.
However, the Proteas led by Jean-Pau Duminy in the absence of Faf du Plessis, will look to hit back at India in the shortest format of the game, under the likes of hard-hitting batsmen consisting the skipper himself, AB de Villiers, David Miller and Chris Morris, who can score some vital runs in the lower order.
The bowling department, led by Andile Phehlukwayo, Morris along with chinaman Tabraiz Shamsi will have to come out with something special in order to get rid of the flamboyant Indian batsmen.
Meanwhile, the three new faces included for the shortest format -- batsman Christiaan Jonker, pacer Junior Dala and wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen will be aiming to put up a show for the home team,