India vs South Africa: Had to make India pay after Shreyas Iyer dropped my catch, says Rassie van der Dussen
India Today
India vs South Africa: Rassie van der Dussen managed just 29 runs from his first 30 bals but hit 4 sixes and 5 boundaries after Shreyas Iyer dropped him during the 1st T20I.
South Africa batter Rassie van der Dussen conceded that his slow start did put pressure on the visiting team in their chase of 212 against India in the first of a 5-match T20I series in New Delhi on Thursday. Van der Dussen, however, said he was determined to make the most of the extra opportunity that he received after India dropped his catch during the high-scoring encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Rassie van der Dussen was struggling to get going as he managed just 29 runs in his first 30 deliveries, putting pressure on his batting partner David Miller in a mammoth chase of 212. However, he was dropped on 29 by Shreyas Iyer in the 16th over of South Africa's chase.
Van der Dussen made India pay as he blasted 45 runs in the next 15 deliveries as he remained unbeaten on 75 off just 46 balls. He hit 4 sixes and 5 boundaries in 15 deliveries after the dropped catch from Shreyas Iyer. South Africa eventually went on to win the match by 7 wickets, successfully chasing down 212 in just 19.1 overs.
Van der Dussen and Miller stitched an unbeaten 131-run stand as South Africa completed their highest-ever successful chase in T20I cricket, snapping India's 12-match-winning run in the shortest format of the game.
"The key for me was that when that catch was dropped, I knew I had to make India pay. I took a good few balls to get in and it was a wicket that got a lot easier once you were in. It was tough to get yourself set. I knew I was in and I had to make them pay," van der Dussen said after South Africa's 7-wicket win in the first T20I.
"I did put myself and the team under pressure by not being able to hit early boundaries.
"Sometimes [your approach] just doesn't come off and other days it does. Some days you're lucky, others you're not. And tonight I was lucky. If Shreyas had caught that ball, it might've been a different game. That said, we had a lot of batting still to come," he added.
