It might have been a rain reduced 40-overs a side ODI but nerves ran high as it came down to the wire. Sanju Samson's blistering 86 not out went in vain as South Africa beat India by 9 runs in the Lucknow ODI to go 1-0 up in the 3-match series.
Put into bat, the Proteas finished at 249/4, courtesy of unbeaten knocks of 75 and 74 by David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen. Chasing which, the hosts found themselves wanting at 51/4. But Shreyas Iyer counter attacked with a 37-ball-50.
After he fell, Sanju Samson and Shardul Thakur stitched a 93-run stand. Samson kept India's run-chase alive but couldn't take his side over the finish line as the Men in Blue finished at 240/8.
The 2nd ODI will be played in Ranchi on October 9.
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