India suffered a humiliating 135 runs loss to South Africa in the first One-day International of the five-match series here Wednesday.
Chasing a target of 290 runs, India were bowled out for 154 run in 35.4 over after Virat Kohli top scored with 54 off 70 balls. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored 25 and Suresh Raina made 32.
Loanwab Tsotsobe was the Man of the Match with figures of four for 31 while Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel picked up two wickets each at the Kingsmead Stadium.
Earlier in the day, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy shared a 131-run fourth wicket partnership to provide the bulk of South Africa’s total of 289 for nine. De Villiers hit 76 off 69 balls, while Duminy scored 73 off 89 deliveries.
While they were together South Africa looked on target for a total of more than 300 but both fell to the part-time off-spin of Rohit Sharma instead of cashing in towards the end of the innings.
De Villiers holed out to deep midwicket and Duminy was leg before wicket when he missed an attempted reverse sweep, leaving South Africa without a specialist batsman for the last eight overs.
Even so it was a challenging total on an outfield slower than usual because of rain in the days leading up to the match.
Opening bowler Zaheer Khan took two for 44, with both his wickets coming in the last over of the innings, while Sharma’s seven overs brought him two for 30.
Hashim Amla got the South African innings off to a fast start, scoring 50 off 36 balls with eight fours.