South Africa middle-order batter Rassie van der Dussen took his impressive Test form into the ODIs with a match-winning century against India on Wednesday in Paarl. Batting first, South Africa posted a challenging 296/4 thanks to fine centuries from Van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma,
While Van der Dussen made an unbeaten 129 off 96, Bavuma scored 110 off 143. India could only manage 265/8 in 50 overs as South Africa won by 31 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
India vs South Africa: Full Coverage | Photos | Schedule | Results
Van der Dussen played a vital role in South Africa bouncing back in the three-match Test series that preceded the ODIs. And he reckons that being part of two back-to-back high-pressure chases primed him for the century.
“Coming in today, we were in a bit of pressure. You need to stand up as a batter, two high-pressure chases in the Test, we were confident as a group coming into this match. We knew we’d be in a good position if we could post 280-plus,” Van der Dussen said after the match.
During his innings, the 32-year-old struck nine fours and four sixes.
“The key for me was to keep the intensity and up the intensity. I went in and I knew I had to go to my sweeps and reverse-sweeps and put the pressure back on their spinners. It was important to show intent from the start. We got some momentum and put on a good score,” he explained.
South Africa continue to put up impressive show despite undergoing a period of transition and Van der Dussen credits the results to ‘hard work’
“We’ve been on a long journey with this team. We’ve put a lot of hard work in and had a lot of good chats. I think it’s coming through,” he said.
The second ODI will be played on Friday at the same venue.
Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here
.