Rahul praises youngsters after Samson ton sets up ODI series win

By AFP

December 23, 2023

PAARL, South Africa: Indian captain KL Rahul praised his group of young players after Sanju Samson hit a maiden international century and set up a series-deciding win for India against South Africa in the third One-day International in Paarl on Thursday night.

Samson made 108 in an Indian total of 296 for eight at Boland Park. South African captain Aiden Markram´s decision to send India in to bat on a slow pitch on a hot afternoon backfired as the hosts were bowled out for 218 in reply.

Indias Sanju Samson (L) plays a shot during the third one-day international (ODI) cricket match between South Africa and India at Boland Park in Paarl on December 21, 2023. — AFP — India's Sanju Samson (L) plays a shot during the third one-day international (ODI) cricket match between South Africa and India at Boland Park in Paarl on December 21, 2023. — AFP

India arrived in South Africa without most of the players who took the country to the World Cup final last month. But they won two of the three matches in convincing fashion. “It´s a really young group of players,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation. “They have played a lot of cricket but not at international level.

“The message was to let them adjust to international cricket and let them get used to the pressure. Have fun initially and after a few games start expecting things from them.” Left-arm opening bowler Arshdeep Singh rose to the challenge spectacularly. He took 10 wickets in the series, including four for 30 on Thursday, and was named player of the series. South Africa were well-placed when Tony de Zorzi (87) and Markram (36) put on 65 for the third wicket to take the total to 141 in the 26th over. But the innings fell away when Markram gloved an attempted reverse sweep off Washington Sundar to wicketkeeper Rahul and De Zorzi was leg before wicket to Arshdeep 20 runs later.

Former international players in the commentary box were surprised at Markram´s decision to bowl first but Markram said he didn´t believe it influenced the result.

“We were good in small patches,” he said. “I still don´t think the surface changed much.” Samson summed up the conditions well, batting patiently as stroke-making became challenging when the two white balls lost their hardness.

South Africa won the toss

India innings

Patidar b Burger 22

Sudharsan lbw b BE Hendricks 10

Samson c Hendricks b Williams 108

Rahul (c)† c †Klaasen b Mulder 21

Varma c Mulder b Maharaj 52

Singh c RR Hendricks b Burger 38

Patel c Mulder b BE Hendricks 1

Sundar c Markram b Hendricks 14

Singh not out 7

Khan not out 1

Extras: (b 1, lb 5, nb 1, w 15) 22

Total: 50 Ov (RR: 5.92) 296/8

Did not bat: Mukesh Kumar

Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-49, 3-101, 4-217, 5-246, 6-255, 7-277, 8-293

Bowling: Nandre Burger 9-0-64-2, Lizaad Williams 10-0-71-1, Beuran Hendricks 9-0-63-3, Wiaan Mulder 7-0-36-1, Keshav Maharaj 10-2-37-1, Aiden Markram 5-0-19-0

South Africa innings

Hendricks c Rahul b Arshdeep 19

De Zorzi lbw b Arshdeep 81

Der Dussen b Patel 2

Markram c Rahul b Washington 36

Klaasen c Sudharsan b Avesh 21

Miller c Rahul b Mukesh 10

Mulder c Rahul b Washington 1

Maharaj c Singh b Arshdeep 14

Hendricks c Samson b Avesh 18

Williams lbw b Arshdeep 2

Burger not out 1