South Africa won the first T20I against India by 7 wickets, chasing down 211 runs.
Team India returned to action in international with a loss in the first T20I against South Africa in Delhi on June 9. Despite scoring 211/4 in 20 overs, Team India, was unable to defend the score, as the Proteas chased it down thanks to Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller.
In the chase, Indian bowlers were expensive, but one of the most surprise decisions was not bowling Yuzvendra Chahal's full quota of overs. Chahal had only bowled two overs until the game's 19th over, and was summoned back in the final over with South Africa needing only four more runs to win.
Chahal's under-utilization by new captain Rishabh Pant was even more surprising by the fact that he had been in superb form, finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded IPL 2022.
Pant's choice was also criticised by former India bowler Ashish Nehra, who coached Gujarat Titans to IPL 2022 title victory.
“The opposition scored 212 and Chahal bowled merely two overs. It wasn't as if he conceded 22 runs in one over. You know that the runs are flowing. Even Axar Patel bowled an over to the left-handed David Miller. So, it was quite surprising for me that a bowler like Yuzvendra Chahal bowled only two,” Nehra said on Cricbuzz.
“Even Rassie van der Dussen was there. Even if you're looking at the left-right combination, you did bowl Axar Patel. So, I think you should've bowled Chahal. I can understand the thinking that you would want to contain the flow of runs, but once David Miller started hitting sixes off almost every over, you had to bring Chahal in,” the former India fast bowler further said.
In the first T20I, Akshar Patel had stats of 1/40 in four overs, while Yuzvendra Chahal conceded 26 in 2.1 overs.