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South Africa might have won the first ODI against India but batter Rassie van der Dussen admitted the Protes were in a bit of pressure ahead of the game.
Temba Bavuma and van der Dussen's centuries were backed by a spirited bowling performance as South Africa defeated India by 31 runs in the first ODI of the three-match series on Wednesday. Van der Dussen said it was important to show intent from the start of the game and South Africa exactly did that in the first ODI. "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," said Van der Dussen after the game. "We got some momentum and put on a good score. 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+," he added. The South African batter wants the Proteas to be more vigilant in the last 10 overs of the innings. "When Shikhar and Virat were there, they were putting us under a bit of pressure. As soon as we got those two wickets, a new batter needs time to find his feet," said Van der Dussen "Not the ideal last 10 overs, hopefully we can be more clinical in the future. 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 added. With this win, the hosts have gained a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second ODI will be played on the same ground on Friday. (ANI)
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