"We were a little off with the execution" - Rishabh Pant reacts after India go down against SA in 1st T20I
Team India captain Rishabh Pant lamented the team's performance as the hosts went down against South Africa by seven wickets in the series opener on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Chasing a mammoth total of 212 runs, the Proteas got off to a flying start, scoring 51 runs in the powerplay. However, India managed to peg the visitors back in the middle overs before the Proteas took the game away with an exceptional display of batting.
Pant credited the South African batters for acing the run chase on a wicket that got better with time. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Rishabh Pant said:
"We had a good total on the board. We were a little off with our execution but sometimes, you have to give credit to the opposition. Miller and van der Dussen played well."
The 24-year-old added:
"We thought the slower ones were working in the first innings but the wicket got better as the game went on."
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Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller forged a match-winning 131-run stand off just 63 balls to take the Proteas home. Dussen struggled to get going initially but once he changed his bat, there was no stopping him. Miller also continued his spectacular form, smashing a 22-ball 50.
The southpaw remained unbeaten on 64 off 31 balls while Dussen chipped in with a 46-ball 75 to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
"We were very happy with the total on the board" - Rishabh Pant
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Asked to bat first, Ishan Kishan got India off to a good start. He scored 76 runs off 48 deliveries to set up the platform for Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya to unleash their shots.
India eventually managed to post 211 runs in their 20 overs, with Pant scoring 29 off 16 and Pandya smashing a 12-ball 31 on his return.
Pant, who was captaining India for the first time, was happy with the total at the halfway stage. The Delhi cricketer also stressed that they will come out as a better team if they are in a similar situation again.
The southpaw concluded:
"We were very happy with the total on the board. If next time we are in the same situation, we'll try to execute our plans better."
Meanwhile, India's 12-match winning streak in the shortest format has now been broken.
The Men in Blue will hope to bounce back in the five-match T20I series when they lock horns with South Africa in the second game on Sunday at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.