Team India did not have the ideal start to the three-match ODI series against South Africa, as the Shikhar Dhawan-led team was defeated by nine runs in the first ODI.
While chasing 250, India concluded with 240/8 in 40 overs, which would not have been feasible without Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer. India's chase began disastrously, as they lost both openers (Shubman Gill and Shikhar Dhawan) within the first six overs.
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Ruturaj Gaekwad and Ishan Kishan then consumed a large number of deliveries while attempting to carry out the recovery effort. The two batsmen were subsequently bowled out by Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj, a spin duo.
Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, got India's innings back on track with a quick 50 off 37 balls. He found the ideal partner in Samson, who played second fiddle but took over after Iyer was dismissed.
However, India's hopes were dashed when Shardul Thakur departed after hitting 33 runs from 31 balls and Samson fell short of his partners. India were eventually left with 31 runs to score off the last over. Samson scored 20 runs, but it wasn't enough, and India lost. When many fans complimented the wicketkeeper batsman for his valiant effort, others criticised him for his attitude while batting with tailenders.
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