India Vs South Africa Live Score, 1st T20I Updates: Axar Sends Back Markram, SA 45/3 Chasing 176

India vs South Africa Live Score, 1st T20I Match (India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team):

Hardik Pandya smashed a sparkling unbeaten 28-ball 59 to lift India to 175 for six against South Africa in the first T20I here on Tuesday.

Returning to international cricket after recovering from quadricep injury, Pandya smashed six fours and four maximums to provide the much-needed impetus in the fag end of the innings after India were 78 for 4 in 12th over.

Tilak Varma (26) and Axar Patel (23) also chipped in with useful contributions after SA asked India to take first strike.

SA managed to take wickets early on with Lungi Ngidi (3/31) and Lutho Sipamla (2/38) sharing five wickets before Pandya produced a superb innings.

Toss: South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Playing 11s:

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (WK), Aiden Markram (C), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy and Arshdeep Singh